A Girl's Best Friend
by Millennium65
Summary: After her first day at Forks High, Bella meets a wolf in the woods. Little does she know that he is more than he appears. Can she save the man trapped inside?
1. The New Kid

**I'm taking a liberal license with Twilight events. Some will be used, some won't, and some show up out of order. Get over it ;) The story is already finished. Updates twice a week. Don't forget to R &R!**

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Chapter 1: The New Kid

Getting home from my first day at Forks High School, I can't believe Edward Cullen would beg to change his schedule to avoid being near me. Am I really that disgusting? Does my utter mediocrity offend his runway model sensibilities? I'm pissed at him for making me feel so ugly and self-conscious. Being the new kid is hard enough without making enemies on your first day. I shake my head. That should be my slogan: chasing guys away since the early '90s.

I stuff a granola bar in my coat and head outside for a quick walk to clear my thoughts. I take the path behind Charlie's house, and I get calmer with each crunch of leaves under my shoes. I know I can be pretty. I'm not really into fashion or make up, but I'll dress up for a special occasion and know I look good. Most days I'm happy to wear my uniform of jeans and a tee-shirt though. I've also never been very athletic, much to my mom's chagrin.

She tried to drag me to ballet lessons, karate and mother-daughter swim, but after a couple trips to the ER, she pretty much gave up on sharing her fitness-related hobbies with me. Charlie never really cared what I did as long as I gave him a 5 minute summary on it every week. He even went to bat for me once when Renee wanted to sign me up for after school kickball. I think the clincher was me crying to him on the phone about not wanting to get hit in the face like last time. He yelled at her for triggering my anxiety and she hung up on him for always making her seem like the bad guy for trying to "socialize" their daughter. Suffice to say, I never complained to Charlie about sports again, and eventually Renee got tired of explaining to the hospital staff why I had so many broken bones and stitches.

Instead of doing sports, I love to walk, and if nothing else, Forks has some beautiful walking trails. The crisp cool air, the smell of the pine trees, the hint of a wood-burning fireplace – they all bring a smile to my face. It's no blistering Arizona sun, but not sweating through your shirt has its perks. Maybe I won't hate it here.

There's an odd rustling noise, and I stop to listen. Now as I'm drawn out of my thoughts, the forest doesn't seem so safe anymore. My heart rate spikes involuntarily when I realize that it's almost dark. I've been walking longer than I thought, and I should probably get back to the house before Charlie finds me gone. As I turn around to head back, the eerie sensation of being watched never leaves me.

My pulse thunders in my ears, and I gasp as the most enormous wolf steps out of the trees.

"Oh shit," I breathe out quietly. I always thought wolves were the size of huskies or slightly larger, but this thing is more like the size of a bear - a really skinny, fit bear - and it's blocking my exit.

I squeak out in fear as it stalks closer to me, but I can't seem to make my body move. I know that if I run, it will chase me, but there's no hope of fighting it either.

Closer now, it sniffs loudly at me, and I hope with all my being that _I'm_ not what smells appetizing. The wolf stops not two feet from me. It pokes its nose at my right side, and I tremble so hard my teeth chatter. It's not attacking, but it gets even closer, nuzzling at my pocket.

"OH!" I say loudly. The gray wolf jumps back growling and showing teeth. "Sorry, sorry," I try to placate him.

"I know what you want. You smell my snack don't you?" I slowly slip my hand into my pocket with my eyes on the wolf and pull out the granola bar I forgot to eat. "I really hope this will satisfy you, big guy."

I tear off the rapper and toss the bar at him. To my surprise, he catches it perfectly in his mouth like a trained dog. It seems strange to me, but maybe catching is a natural behavior for wolves.

"I know you look a little undernourished, but that's all I have, honey." The wolf still looks at me like I have more food or like I am food. I sure hope it's the former. I test out shuffling my feet, and the wolf does nothing.

"I really need to get home. It's getting late, and my dad is going to worry." The wolf whines and starts to back up into the trees. What the… is he going to let me go? I wait until the wolf has backed almost completely off the path and lays down on his stomach with his head on his paws. I guess this is the best I'm going to get.

I inch past him, holding my breath, but he doesn't move a muscle. I break eye contact to walk briskly down the trail. Once I reach the bend, I look back to see those big yellow eyes staring back at me. I have the oddest feeling looking at those eyes, like they're lonely or something. Shaking my head at my ridiculousness, I can't help but offer a whispered, "Goodbye."

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I hope you enjoyed it! See you in a few days, my lovelies!


	2. Friends?

**A big thank you to everyone who supported my first chapter! Here's another one for you. Don't forget to R &R.**

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Chapter 2: Friends?

Edward Cullen wasn't at school. Again. Most days I've convinced myself that it's him with the problem. He's the undesirable one, not me. Unfortunately, today is not one of those days.

I've avoided the woods behind the house since that day with the wolf, but today I'm too preoccupied to care about the danger. He didn't hurt me last time anyway. I'm ready to walk out the door when I pause. What if I do run into the wolf? I rush back into the kitchen, grab a handful of breakfast bars from the cabinet and head out the door.

"It's probably not good to encourage wild animals, but he was so thin I could practically see his ribs." I tried to justify my unhealthy excitement at the prospect of seeing my wolf again. "And besides, better that he eats a strawberry fruit bar than me."

The crunch of the leaves, the fresh pine smell and the sun filtering through the trees soothe me almost instantly. What did Jessica know anyway? I don't think she meant to be hurtful, but she talks too much for her own good sometimes. Today at lunch she kept pestering me to dish about my history with boys, and she refused to drop it when I said I never had a boyfriend in Phoenix. I was so uncomfortable. In that moment, I wished I could have skillfully steered the conversation away to anything else but Jessica was like a dog with a bone. Or a wolf with a granola bar. I laugh out loud at the thought. If you give a wolf a granola bar…

I get that weird feeling, just like the last time I was in the woods, and a smile curls up on my face. Turning around, I spot my wolf peering out from behind a bush.

"Hey boy," I call softly to him. "I brought something for you."

He perks up at the crinkling wrapper and steps toward me. I toss a bar at him. I laugh happily as he jumps up and catches it, but unlike before, most of the soft bar crumbles to the ground.

"Oh no," I sigh dejectedly. "I'm sorry, boy. I can't seem to do anything right today."

He lifts his head from licking crumbs on the ground and stares fixatedly at me.

"You probably want more, huh? I brought two others, but I feel bad throwing them and making you drop most of it. What if I unwrapped it and sort of… Oh!"

He grabs the opened breakfast bar right out of my hand. He practically swallows it whole and then proceeds to lick my palm. Not sure how I got into this position, but strangely ok with it, I pull out the last bar and stick my hand out flat. I don't look at him, half afraid I'm going to come back with a bloody stump, but I feel his teeth grab onto the food and then he's licking me again.

"That's all I've got today," I warn him. He gives me one last lick and sits down with his head level to my hand. Do I dare?

"Can I pet you boy? I know you're a wolf, but you're not like any wild animal I've ever read about." Those big calm eyes stare at me, and I frown accusingly back at him. "You're not very wild at all."

I reach up as he inclines his head and scratch him behind the ears. His tongue lolls out, and he pants happily. I can't help but smile at his innocent joy.

"Good boy," I coo at him. "Your fur is so soft and warm. I bet you like that, huh? Feels good?"

I scratch his ears for a good while before I know I should be going.

"I have to leave buddy."

He actually whines at me when I stop petting him, and his head chases my hand, looking for more scratches.

"I know, hun. I know. I don't want to leave you either, but I have to get back for my dinner. I'll come out tomorrow and see if you're here."

I give him one last hefty pat on his side and head out. He doesn't try to follow me.


	3. The Attack

Chapter 3: The Attack

"I'm headed to the station, Bella."

"Ok. See you tonight!" I yell down the stairs. I listen carefully and wait until I hear the cruiser pulling out of the driveway before throwing the covers off and jumping out of bed. I researched wolves last night online with Charlie's agonizingly slow dial-up. The man will pay a hundred dollars a month to get all the sports channels on cable, but he won't cough up a bit to upgrade his internet? His priorities are so messed.

I rush through my morning routine and grab my special surprise from the fridge. I hope the wolf will come today because I think he'll really like the fruits of my wolf research.

Fast walking, it doesn't take me long to get to where I saw my wolf yesterday, but he's not here.

"Hey wolfy, here boy! I've got something really yummy for you today," I call impatiently.

I continue to walk, peering into the trees, but I don't see him at all. Maybe he'd come if he could smell the food I brought. I open the bag and hold it away from me. Raw steak isn't appetizing to me, but I'm sure it smells better to a wolf than a breakfast bar does.

"You're lucky I refused to have a bison burger when Charlie cooked dinner the other night. My picky eating means you get some of your natural diet."

Rustling the bag around, I still don't see him.

"I did some research on you. I read that wolves eat animals like deer and moose, which I think there are plenty of around here. I don't think Washington state has any bison, but in any case, raw meat seems more your style than strawberry preserves."

My heart jumps when I hear a crunch from the woods. I wait eagerly for the wolf to show himself. Too late I realize that it's not my wolf. It's a bear.

"Shit. Shit shit shit!," I curse at myself. How stupid could I be? I'm out in the f-ing woods waving a bag of raw meat in the air like a free buffet. Maybe this animal will be as nice as my wolf.

The bear stands up and roars at me. I'm so fucked.

Don't run. You can't outrun a bear. Make noise.

"Hey! LALALALALA. You're a big fat fatty. Go away! LALALALA." I keep talking at it and clapping my hands, but that only draws attention to the bag of food in my hands. Shit.

"Here," I grunt as I try tossing the bag next to the bear. Too bad my aim isn't so great, and this time my lack of athleticism might literally bite me in the butt. The bag of meat lands only a few feet away from me, only encouraging the bear to move closer. I back up slowly and it doesn't charge, but we're still only a few strides apart.

When the bear sniffs at the bag, I take the opportunity to take several healthy steps back, but to my horror, the bear looks up and walks past the bag without another glance. It doesn't want the food? I'm toast now.

My foot steps on something funny, and suddenly I'm going down. I hit the ground hard and try to scramble up as quickly as I can, but the bear is too fast. It growls at me, probably startled by my clumsiness, and starts charging. Just as I try to jump out of the way, something leaps out from the shade and pounces on the bear.

My wolf!

The bear roars and stumbles around, trying to get the wolf's teeth out of its neck. It slams the wolf up against a tree, and my wolf whimpers.

"No!" I gasp, too shocked and horrified to move.

The wolf lets go and the bear tries to take a swipe at him. My wolf is surprisingly nimble and manages to avoid the bear's claws. He darts and around, avoiding swipes and getting in bites where he can. Eventually the wolf pulls back. The bear does too. They stare at each other in a stalemate until the bear breaks contact and lopes back into the trees.

I suck in a shaky breath that feels like I've been holding for ages. At the noise, the wolf turns his head around to look at me and trots over.

"I'm so sorry boy. Are you ok?" He sticks his head out for me to pat. I try to check him over as I scratch his ears, but it's hard to see anything past all the fur.

"I was so stupid. All I wanted was to bring you some real food, but I forgot to have a healthy respect for nature. Not everything out here is as trustworthy as you."

My wolf looks up at me with those intelligent yellow eyes and perky ears.

"Maybe it's another stupid, reckless thing to do, but I can't help but trust you. You saved my life," I choke out with tears in my eyes. What would have happened to me if he hadn't been here?

I give into my human emotions and hug my wolf tight with my arms around his neck.

"Thank you," I whisper. He feels so warm and safe that I wish I could never let go. I'm probably making him uncomfortable, though. Wolves can't like hugs any more than dogs do, right? I reluctantly let go and walk over to grab the bag that started this all.

"This is what I wanted to bring you," I tell the wolf. I hold out the meat to him and he takes it, gnawing on the bison steak. After a few awkward seconds of watching him hungrily eat, I make a move to leave.

"I guess I'll be going. You look like you're enjoying…" The wolf walks over and pushes me down on my butt. "Hey! What did you do that for?"

My wolf grabs his meat and snuggles into my side as he eats. I can't help but laugh at how adorable he is. It's not like I really wanted to leave anyway.

"Ok, I'll stay here with you." I resume my petting and he doesn't seem to mind. "You're kind of a needy wolf, you know that?"

He turns his head, and it looks like he's giving me the side eye.

"What? Excuse me," I drawl sarcastically. "Let me continue to rub your ears and warm your side while you eat, you highness," I laugh at him and at myself. How on earth did my best friend turn out to be a wolf?

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 **So what did you think of the first real action scene? Bella found a friend (and a hero). Keep those reviews coming!**


	4. Food for Thought

**I'm so glad y'all are enjoying it! I'm giving myself a pat on the back for keeping up with my 2x a week upload schedule. As always R &R**

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Chapter 4: Food for Thought

I told Jess and the gang that I would go to First Beach with them. Don't ask me why I thought an hour long car ride sitting on the hump between Mike and Eric was a good idea. All I'm saying is this beach better be worth it.

After the hundredth time telling of Mike that I'm not cold and he doesn't need to turn up the heater for me, we finally arrive. The ocean is so beautiful, my breath catches. It's gray and dreary out, but there are white caps as far as the eyes can see. Taking a big sniff like my wolf would, I think the salt in the air is glorious.

Everyone is excited to finally be at the beach, and a couple people even say they are going out in the water. No way I'm getting in that cold water.

"You coming Bella?" Mike asks hopefully.

I laugh at the thought. "No, I think I'll stick to dry land. I'll leave the ice swimming to the locals."

Mike laughs exaggeratedly at that, and it makes me wonder if he's being facetious. "Let me know if you change your mind. I'd be happy to teach you how to surf!"

I just smile politely and shake my head. There are a few people sitting around taking and some walking down the beach. Now that the "surfers" have left, I don't really have a group. I know I should get up and join a conversation, but I enjoy the sense of peace I feel here watching the waves. I'm ok being the weirdo that sits by herself for a little while.

My solitude is quickly interrupted by a new group of boys that join us.

"Hi Bella," one of the boys greets me. His young, eager face looks familiar and my brain scrambles to remember where I've met him before… The truck!

"Oh hey! Jacob, right? How are you?" I reply, flustered. Or is his name Jordan?

"Yeah, I'm good. Didn't expect to see you on my turf," he replies jauntily, and I crinkle my forehead in confusion.

"Your turf?"

"Yeah, this is the Quileute res." At my still confused look he says more pointedly. "Reservation?"

"OH! Right. Of course." Native American reservation, dumb ass. Could you look more ignorant right now? I gesture to the ocean to hide my embarrassment. "First Beach is beautiful."

"It's nothing to the beaches you must have seen in California," he continues, and I think he must not be offended if he's still trying to talk to me.

"Being warm and sunny does have it's perks, but the way the forest here comes right up to the rocky cliffs is distinctly PNW. I like this kind of beach too."

Jacob practically beams at my description of his gray beach, and it gives my the faint impression of a puppy dog. Maybe he and Mike are cut from the same cloth.

"So uh Bella. Do you want to take a walk with me? Just down the beach or whatever," Jacob runs on. I look around at my group and everyone seems to be occupied.

"Sure. I'd like that," I agree. After a suitably awkward period of waiting to see who will talk first, I offer, "That's a cool pendant. Is it a wolf?"

He picks up the necklace sitting on the outside of his shirt, as if he forgot it was there. "Yeah. My dad gave it to me. It's kind of a family thing."

"That's cool. Like a coat of arms?" Again I think I've put my foot in my mouth because that is definitely a European tradition, but Jacob doesn't seem to mind.

"It's more like a tribal thing." He looks around the empty beach dramatically, then turns to me and says mysteriously, "The Quileutes were supposedly descended from wolves."

"What?" I ask, startled. "What do you mean?" I've taken biology. I know how evolution works.

"Well, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but the Quileute legends say that we're descended from wolves. Our ancestors could 'shape shift,' I guess you would say, into wolves to protect the tribe from its enemies."

"Like werewolves?"

"Sort of, but not like in the movies. When the spirit warriors shared the body of the wolf," Jacob explains, "their mind was still present. They protected the tribe. They didn't hurt or bite innocent people."

"Wow. That's really cool," I reply in a daze. By this point my mind is turning. I know a very strange behaving wolf. It sounds crazy, but what if?

"It's just a story," Jacob shrugs it off. "Even still, it's illegal to hunt wolves on Quileute land."

"Good!" I say forcefully, and Jacob looks at me funny. "Uh, they're an endangered species right? I'm all for animal protection."

"Cool," he says in a chipper voice. "So how do you like Forks, Bella?"

The afternoon goes on, but I can hardly concentrate. Something about that conversation on spirit warriors sticks in my mind and won't get out.


	5. The Missing Boy

Chapter 5: The Missing Boy

"My favorite part of the day is here with you, my handsome wolf," I tell him with a smile. I happily snuggle further into my wolf's warm fur. "What does it say about me that my favorite friend in the whole world can't talk?"

The wolf growls warningly at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Excuse me," I respond with attitude. "Of course you can vocalize. What was I thinking?" I shake my head and whisper under my breath, "So sensitive."

My wolf huffs at me and puts his head back on my lap. I run my hand through the fur on his big head and continue reading my book. I'm not sure why I start reading out loud, but I think it soothes the wolf to hear my voice, so I keep doing it. Honestly, it's nice to get some homework done, since I come out to see him almost every day. I can't believe Charlie hasn't caught me sneaking into the woods yet, and that's not a conversation I'm eager to have anytime soon.

I read my English lit book until the light fades, and I know it's time to go.

"Bye friend," I sigh dejectedly, forcing myself up. Looking at those sad brown eyes, I spontaneously give my wolf a tight hug and a kiss on his muzzle.

"See you tomorrow," I promise.

The saddest part of the day by far is leaving my wolf. I worry about him when I'm gone, probably more than is healthy. I don't know what he does or where he sleeps. He seems pretty capable of running off a bear, but why doesn't he have a family? I read online that wolves normally travel and hunt in packs. Maybe he's so hungry because he can't hunt well without a pack. I hope he's not the last of his kind in this area, but I also selfishly hope that he'll never leave me to go find others. I've always prided myself on my independence, but I am embarrassingly dependent on the affections of a wolf. I'm practically certifiable.

I think about my wolf all throughout dinner. Fantasizing that he's a spirit warrior trapped in his wolf body and that he turns into a man and talks to me. If only old legends were ever true. My eyes focus back at the table, and I realize that I can't remember how long it's been since someone spoke. Charlie doesn't mind taco night as long as I don't make it too spicy, and by "too spicy" I mean not spicy at all. I just roll my eyes at him and add the hot salsa only on my plate.

"What are these fliers, Dad?" I ask about the papers sitting on the chair next to me. Looks like a missing person – a missing kid. How sad.

"Billy came by the station earlier to drop those off," Charlie replies between bites. "Wants us to put them up in Forks."

"What happened?" I can't help but ask. The boy's face, teenager really, is oddly compelling.

"Sam Uley," Charlie grunts. How my dad manages to talk and eat at the same time, I will never understand. "He got into an argument with his mother one afternoon. Left to cool off and never came back."

"That's awful. So they think he ran away?"

"Don't know, Bells. His mother swears that he's a good kid who would never do that. Had some anger issues in the month or so before he went missing, but before that he was a model student. He's got a scholarship to college and everything."

"Why would he throw all that away and risk ruining his hard work over an argument?" I wonder. Charlie sighs testily and looks up at me.

"I don't know, Bella," Charlie says, watching me carefully, "but I do know the more time that passes, the less likely we are to find him."

I think about that, about this kid's chances, about his cute face and steady eyes. Then something Charlie said before tickles my brain.

"You said Billy brought the fliers in, right?" I ask slowly.

"That's right," Charlie confirms and goes back to massacring his taco. Billy is Jacob's dad. Jacob from the reservation. Jacob with the stories.

"So he's Quileute? He's from the reservation?" I press further.

"Yes, he is. You wouldn't have met him, though. He went missing three weeks ago. A few days before you came here."

"Oh!" I blurt out, unable to contain my excitement. This Quileute boy went missing only a few days before I met a very hungry, very friendly wolf in the woods. Coincidence?

"Do you mind if I take a couple of these?" I ask Charlie, gesturing to the missing person fliers. He arches his cop eyebrow at me, and I rack my brain for an excuse. "I could put them up at school!"

"That'd be real nice of you, Bells."

"Good. I'm going to bed. Night," I say as I dump my dishes in the sink.

"Night, Bells," Charlie calls after me.

My mind is whirling. A few days before I got here means that he was out in the wilderness, probably with zero idea how to get food for days. No wonder even a granola bar seemed appetizing. All of those intelligent looks, the vocalizations, and the body language suddenly make sense. He can understand me because he's really a man trapped in a wolf's body!

I jump onto my bed with a squeal at my discovery, but when the excitement wears off I can only think of one daunting thing —

How do I get him out? 

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**Things are getting good! What did you think?**


	6. Transformation

**R &R What do you think will happen?**

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"Sam!" I yell into the forest, practically running. "Sam!"

My wolf appears in front of me, almost like magic. He's so stealthy that I can never keep track of him.

"I know who you are, Sam. I know what happened to you," I tell him emphatically.

He stares at me unfathomably. It's been so long that I'm sure he would have turned back into a man if he could help it. I just hope that I'm enough help to make a difference.

"Come here and sit with me like we always do, friend."

I sit down in example and gesture to my side. Sam comes and sits at my feet to look at me, waiting.

"I went to the reservation the other day. I don't think I told you that. Some people from school wanted to go to the beach so I went with them. First Beach is beautiful." I gauge his reaction for any glimmer of recognition, but he's as stoic as always. "I met a boy there, Jacob Black, son of Billy Black."

At Billy's name, Sam perks his head up a little more intently.

"Jacob told me some tribe secrets, but I think you'll forgive him when you hear what it was. He told me the story of the spirit warriors. Quileute men who turned into wolves to protect their tribe from its enemies."

Sam gets up on all fours and looks so intently at me, almost pleading.

"The Quileute men shared the body of the wolf to fight off enemies, but they were still themselves in their mind, and they could shift back into man."

Sam wags his tail and practically vibrates with energy. This has to work. Please work. I pull out the missing persons flier and hold it out for him to see. I have no idea what it looks like to his wolf eyes, but I hope he can recognize his human face.

"You, Sam Uley, went missing three weeks ago after an argument with your mom. You haven't been seen since, and you're now officially a missing person. Billy gave these missing person fliers to my dad who's the Chief of Police here in Forks. He's going to post them up in town so people will keep an eye out for you."

Sam sits down now, and looks frankly overwhelmed. His ears are less perky, and he seems low.

"It means that people care about you, Sam. They miss you, and they want you to go home. I can't imagine what this experience has been like for you, but I'm glad I could be your friend. Even if I'm completely wrong, and I'm talking to a regular wolf right now, you're still the best friend I've ever had."

I move closer and hug him tightly, knowing that nothing between us will ever be the same again. I whisper, "Think of something human, Sam. I know you can do it. I want to hear your voice. Think of something you can only do when you're human, something with your hands."

After the longest 30 seconds of my life, I feel fur recede into smooth, warm skin. I pull back to see the most handsome man I've ever encountered. He looks so much more mature than the kid in the photo. There's no way that he's a teenager, he's all man.

A hand slides down my arm and captures my hand. Sam threads his fingers through mine and says, "What's your name, my beautiful angel?"

I look down from his spellbinding gaze and get an eyeful of something else instead.

"OH!" I say, jumping up with wide eyes and turning around. "I had no idea you would be naked. I mean it's obvious now, but shit, it didn't even occur to me before."

"Beautiful," he calls from behind me. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I'd really like to thank the girl that saved me."

I turn toward him and force my eyes north of the border. Thankfully looking into his eyes isn't a hardship.

"My name's Bella," I tell him, my head held high with false confidence.

He starts laughing. I mean really, really laughing. He doubles over and lets out big hearty whoops. I also get a peek at his hearty backside, but I quickly chastise myself and keep my eyes on his smiling face.

"And just what is so hilarious?" I question him, feeling irritated.

"I asked for the name I should call you other than Beautiful, and you tell me your name is in fact 'Beautiful' but in Italian." He starts laughing again, and I join in lightly.

"Guess I never though about it like that. It's so nice to hear you laugh, Sam."

He looks up at me with a startled expression, and I hope I don't have my heart on my sleeve. I invested so much of my emotional wealth into my relationship with my wolf, that I'm afraid it will be rejected by the man.

"I never thought I would be able to laugh again, or that I would want to, but you gave me both. No one has ever done so much for me, Beautiful."

With my heart in my throat, I hold my hand out to him. "Come on Sam, let's get you home."


	7. Clothes

**Sorry for the shitty editing on the last chapter. I've gone back and corrected the spelling and punctuation. That's what I get for drunk posting x_x Also, thanks for the great reviews! Keep them coming**

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Chapter 7: Clothes

"It's a good thing the house is surrounded by several large trees," I tell Sam with a nervous laugh. "I'd hate to explain to Charlie why the neighbors saw me leading a naked man out of the woods."

"You could always tell them the truth," Sam responds with a deliciously low voice.

"What? That the man is actually my best wolf-friend that turned back into a human?"

His eyes sparkle as he chuckles, and he says, "No, that he was lost and needed help and that you saved him."

"Befriending a wolf," I muse and glance slyly at Sam. "Best decision I ever made."

Sam grins widely back at me for a moment before his expression falls, and he turns away from me. I don't understand. Did I say something wrong?

"And are we still best friends?" Sam mumbles to the ground. He intensely watches his toes squish into the muddy grass, but he hides his face from me. "Are we still friends even though I'm just a man now?"

"Of course!" I blurt out, surprised he even has to ask. "If you'll have me, I mean."

What if he doesn't need me anymore? That's a horrid thought.

"Good," he barks out so loudly that I jump. "You're not going anywhere."

He gives me a sheepish smile for startling me and continues teasingly, "I would hate to have to kidnap you to maintain our friendship."

I try to contain my giggles. What an absurd thought. As if he would have to force me to spend time with him. Yeah right.

"I didn't know you harbored such dangerous tendencies," I tease back. "Maybe I was safer the wild animals in the woods."

I turn around as if I'm going to walk back into the trees.

"No!" he yells, frantically spinning toward me. I grunt as a big muscly shoulder plows into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I put my hands out to stop my decent and find myself touching that gorgeously silky skin. He's hot! I mean, he's practically burning up.

"Sam. Sam!" I slap lightly at his back. "I'm just joking. We have to get you cleaned up, anyway. I'm not going back into the woods."

He only ignores me, so I resign myself to being jostled back to the house like a sack of potatoes. I begin to chuckle at Sam for his weird overreaction, but just then Sam shifts me on his shoulder, and I slip further down his back.

OH Shit. His beautiful ass cheek is so close, I could take a bite out of it. It's like a switch flips in my body and suddenly everything Lauren taunted me about – being a prude and not knowing what desire felt like – is thrown out the window. I want Sam to hold me tighter. I want him to press me up against the railing and grind on me. His skin under my hands feels hotter. His arms around me feel stronger. His—

"Ooph," Sam sets me down at the back door of the house, jolting me out of my fantasy. Shit. What a trip. "Uh let me get my keys."

I fumble around for an embarrassingly long time, but I finally get the door open and breathe a sigh of relief. I just hope Sam didn't notice my ogling.

"Let's go upstairs. You can take a shower while I find some clothes for you," I instruct him. I've got my game face on now. Planning and taking care of people is fortunately something I'm great at. I show him upstairs and think of things he'll need.

"I'm afraid that nothing in the house will fit you, Sam. You're definitely taller than Charlie. How tall are you anyway?"

I stick my head out of Charlie's bedroom and when Sam doesn't answer, I find him in the hallway bathroom. He's just staring at the mirror. He even has to duck a little to see himself in it.

"What happened to my face?" he asks in a whisper. I know there's nothing wrong with that beautiful face of his, so at first I'm confused. Then I pull out the flier of Sam before he phased.

"How long ago was this picture taken?" I ask delicately.

"It was from the college visit day at UW in November."

Sam sounds dazed, and it's no wonder since that was only two months ago. There's no way he aged that much naturally. He looks at least five years older, not two months.

"I guess becoming a wolf made you grow up fast," I say gravely. "In more ways than one."

Sam finally turns his head away from the mirror and the frightened look he gives me pierces my soul. Despite his mature body and his strange transformation, he's still a teenager inside. He looks at me like I have the answers to everything, but all I know is that I'll try my damnedest to protect him from anything hurting him like that again.

"Time to get your handsome butt in the shower," I perk up and give him a shooing motion. "Here are some basketball shorts that I think will work and a large flannel. Not sure if the shirt will fit but it's the best I could find. I'm going to whip you up something to eat. It'll be about 20 minutes, so take your time. Use any of the shampoo and soap you find."

I turn to leave but he still hasn't said anything, "Alright, Sam?"

He blinks at me, "Alright."


	8. The Cover Story

**Hey! Got a longer one for y'all today. A little bit of cute Sam-Bella time. Hope you enjoy. Don't forget to R &R  
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Chapter 8: The Cover Story

"Time to get our story straight. What do we tell people?" I ask anxiously what's been on my mind ever since I left Sam in the shower.

Being on my own gives me plenty of time to freak out about how the hell we're going to explain this. Thankfully, cooking us dinner and getting Sam comfortable gives my hands something to do, even if my mind has time to wander. I get Sam clean, fed and clothed- well sort of clothed. The shirt doesn't fit, so all Sam has on are a "large" pair of basketball shorts that are very nearly booty shorts. Damned if he doesn't have the most cut quads I've ever seen. It's not like I'm complaining, and Sam is actually being a good sport about it too.

"Do we really have to tell them anything?" Sam groans.

"Well…" I hedge. "I'd rather not be the object of small town gossip, but I have to tell Charlie something about you being found."

Sam still looks skeptical, so I emphasize, "It would look weird if you just happen to show up the day after I grill Charlie about you and your flier. He's a cop. He's going to ask questions!"

"Yeah," Sam concedes. "I guess you're right. I don't want him giving you a hard time, especially when you were the one that saved me."

Saved him? Aw, why does he have to be so fucking sweet sometimes.

"We also have to find out who from the res knows about the wolves," I say, getting back on track. "There has to be someone who believes the legends and can help tell you what's going on. Who do you trust?"

Sam sighs, "I guess it should be Billy. Technically he's the chief of the tribe, and he'll probably call the council of elders in too."

"Why do you sound not very happy with that idea?" I ask, confused.

"They're a bunch of old coots who like to keep secrets from the rest of us 'for the greater good' they say. They just like to have the best gossip."

I laugh at Sam who is clearly disgruntled, "What's the problem with that? In this case, I think secrecy is a virtue, don't you?"

Sam looks at me like this is a novel idea.

I continue, "If some big mouth told the newspaper or the government, you could be shipped of to some lab for testing. I know that Native American reservations are considered sovereign territory, but it's not much of a stretch to think the government might make an exception in this case. National security and all."

"Shit, Bella. I never even thought of that."

"I mean, don't go shouting it from the rooftops or anything. Still, the people on the res and some trustworthy people in Forks, like my dad, would keep your secret safe."

"No, we better not involve Chief Swan," Sam states with finality.

"What? Why not?" I ask confused. "I have to tell him something."

"Just like you said, Bella, he's a part of the government. We can't risk it."

I sigh, not liking it, but I agree, "Fine. It's your secret, and I'll respect your decisions about it. But I know my dad, and he would never betray his friends from the res like that."

"Thank you," he says, relieved. "Besides, he would probably ban you from seeing me if he ever found out."

Now there's a scary thought and a plausible one too. I could totally see Charlie refusing to let me be friends with Sam if he thought Sam could be dangerous. No way in hell am I letting that happen.

"So we hide the wolf thing from Charlie, but what about finding you? You need a cover story for where you were and why you left."

Sam sighs, "What if I said I went backpacking?"

My eyes bug out. "Backpacking? BACKPACKING?" I say hysterically. "That's a pretty twisted version of what really happened! You're basically going to say you lived in the woods for three weeks?"

His adorably blasé face pouts, and he shrugs, "They say the easiest lie to tell is the one closest to the truth."

I shake my head at him. "What about your mom? Won't she tell people that you didn't take any camping gear with you?"

"We'll have to tell my mom what really happened. The elders won't like it, but I can't stand the thought of her being mad at me for this, or of her feeling guilty for our fight that made me leave."

"What did happen anyway?" I ask curiously. "I never heard about when you transformed."

"Oh man, it was so painful. My mom and I were arguing about the fights I had been getting into. It makes perfect sense now, but in that month before I shifted, my temper was on a hair trigger and anything would set me off." Sam shakes his head at the memories, as if he's disappointed in himself.

"The anger is what turned me into a wolf. I felt it burn inside my head like a disease, until I ran out of the house. At first, being in the forest made it better. There were no people or cars, only fresh air and the wind. But then it got so much worse. My skin felt like it was on fire, and then my bones seemed to break all at once. I never knew pain like that."

He sees my horrified gaze and decides to gloss over the painful parts. "It stopped, and eventually I realized what I was. Transforming back into a human didn't hurt a bit, so I hope- I mean I'm pretty sure it's only the first transformation that hurts."

His story gets me thinking. "That's probably when your human body grew too. It made you taller and bulkier to handle the transformation into a wolf."

"That makes sense," he smiles at me so intensely that my breath catches. "You know, you're a pretty smart cookie, Bella Swan."

I duck my head to cover my blush. "I try." Without looking up, I continue, "Uhm, so are you ready to tell the elders?"

Sam stands up confidently for a second and then immediately sits back down. "What if they don't believe me?"

"Easy. Just show them."

"No, not easy. The last time I turned wolf was an accident, and I was stuck like that for weeks," Sam looks at me with mounting terror. "I don't know how to do it at will!"

Huh. I hadn't thought of that. I have to come up with an idea quickly, though, because my wolf-man tugging his hair like he's trying to go bald. Finally, I throw up my hands and say, "You'll just have to practice."

"Practice?" Sam raises his head and relinquishes his hold on that beautiful chin-length hair.

"Yes," I confirm cheerfully. "Practice. Let's go back into the woods, and you can try it out. I helped you change last time, so I bet I can do it again. At the very least, I can go get Billy for help if you can't change back human."

Sam looks uneasy, and I try to reassure him, "Don't worry, Sam. I'll take good care of you."

He smiles at me softly, still uncomfortable, but more determined I think. "I know you will, Beautiful. Let's get this over with."


	9. Showing Billy

**Better late than never? Take pity, R &R!**

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Chapter 9: Showing Billy

Driving my old truck to La Push, I glance over at Sam out of the corner of my eye. He seems nervous, but we both know has no reason to be. He phased at will like a boss, and I'm so damn proud of him. To distract Sam, I ask him something that's been niggling the back of my mind, "So I've heard about your mom and your scholarship to UW, what about a girlfriend?"

"What?" Sam barks out, startled. "What do you mean? What did you hear?"

I keep my eyes on the road, but lift my eyebrow suspiciously. "I haven't heard anything, that's why I'm asking if you have a girlfriend who misses you."

Sam clears his throat and says, "Oh. Right. Well, I don't." I breathe a sigh of relief. "We got into a fight and broke up a week before I went missing."

Fuck. No longer relieved, I for some reason feel the need to dig myself deeper into this pit of hopelessness. "So if your breakup was caused by the artificial anger of the wolf transformation, are you going to try to get back together?"

My heart breaks just asking it, but it's better to know now than to squash my feelings after they've gotten even more out of hand.

"No," he replies carefully. "We had problems before that, and I realized that I didn't want to be with her any longer." He sighs, and I hear his head plunk back on the headrest. "I guess what I mean is that the wolf made me say some harsh things that I regret, but it didn't make up any problems that didn't already exist."

"Oh," I whisper. I don't say anything more because I'm afraid it will come out sounding cheerful. I'd be sad for Sam if he really loved her, but it sounds like it wouldn't have worked out anyway. Her loss is my gain… maybe.

We pull up to the Blacks' house, and I put my truck in park. "You ready for this?"

Sam looks nervous and I try to reassure him with a smile. He smiles back at me and says, "Let's do it."

Out of the truck and walking to the house, Sam takes my hand and brings it to his mouth for a kiss. It's so soft and sweet, I'm going to melt into a puddle on the ground. Now I'm the distracted one, and Sam is the man on a mission. He smirks at my dazed look and gently pulls me forward.

That man is totally lethal. A straight shot of liquid passion. Ugh I need to shut up and get my game face on. I stride forward to knock on the door, and after a minute Billy answers.

"Hey there Bella, what are you—Sam? Is that you, Samuel?" Billy looks up at Sam, stunned, and I don't blame him.

"I know you have a lot of questions," I tell Billy carefully. "But first, Sam and I have something to show you."

I look at Sam for reassurance and he nods.

"Come past the tree line with us, Billy, and I promise we'll answer all of your questions afterwards. Deal?"

Billy still doesn't know what to make of this, but he rolls his wheelchair out the door anyway. Sam and I take that as our cue to continue, so we walk hand in hand down the drive to the nearest tree line with decent cover. Sam helps Billy maneuver over the grass, and then we're ready for the show. I take a deep breath.

"This is going to be pretty shocking Billy, so don't go having a heart attack on me or anything." I joke, half serious. As I'm narrating, Sam takes off his pants. "What if I told you that the Quileute legends are true?" Sam gets on his hands and knees, closes his eyes, and thinks about running on four legs, just like we practiced. "Sam has been gone for weeks because he transformed into a wolf, and he didn't know how to shift back."

Once I say it, Sam shifts into an impossibly large gray wolf. I get lost in his intelligent eyes, until I remind myself to check on Billy. He jaw has fallen open, and he even looks a little pale. Shit.

"Billy," I say shaking his shoulder lightly. "It's still Sam. He's can understand us, and he won't hurt us."

Billy looks dumbfounded and still doesn't respond to me.

"Look!" I say, stepping up to Sam. Billy makes a squeaking noise, but I ignore him. I know that if he sees me interact with Sam, he'll understand that there's nothing to be afraid of. I put my hand up to stroke Sam's muzzle. He lets out a growly huff and tips his head so I can reach his ears.

I laugh, "Good to see you again, my needy wolf. You just love those ear scratches, don't you?" I coo at him. Yes, I know it's still Sam, but how can I stop myself from cooing when he looks like an adorable oversized husky?

"Sam can you show Billy that it's still you? How about you shake your head."

He moves his head side to side.

"What if you wag your tail?"

He turns to the side to show us his tail swishing back and forth.

"Can you give us a bark?" I say teasingly.

He growls at me, and I laugh loudly. "That was a trick one. Wolves don't bark like dogs except sometimes the pups do when they're very young. Sam doesn't find that joke as funny as me."

I look at Billy to see that he has his serious face on now. Uh oh. Pretty sure he believes us, and pretty sure we're in for a talking to.

"Shift back, Sam, and meet me at the house," Billy orders and turns away almost in a huff. Who spit in his soup? Whatever.

Sam transforms back without my help, and I hand him the shorts, keeping my eyes on the trees… mostly.

"That went well," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"I think he's miffed that no one told him the legends are real," Sam says with laugher in his voice. "That or he's disappointed that I'm the tribe's protector."

"What? That's crazy. You're responsible and trustworthy and capable. You're the best protector they could ever ask for!" I defend him heatedly. I don't like when he puts himself down. He's worth so much to me. I just wish he would see it in himself.

"You don't know about my deadbeat father who left my mom to raise me by herself." He sighs and shakes his head, "I bet people are saying I'm just like him for leaving."

"No! No way!" I yell and point at his chest. "Anyone who says that is going to have me to deal with! And we're telling your mom what happened. She knows you're a good son, and I know she's been worried about you. Everything will be alright when you explain it to her."

I put my arm around Sam's back, ignoring the thrill I get from touching his bare skin. Calm down hussy, this is about comforting Sam. I give him a little squeeze of affection.

"You fought a bear for me. What is one old man compared to that?"

He laughs and hugs me back. Reaching out, he grabs the door and holds it open for me, "Into the bear's den we go."


	10. Reading the Legends

**Apologies, I was traveling last week and couldn't make my second post of the week. As a piece offering, I give you a nice long read! I'm back on the regular posting schedule now. Don't forget to let me know what you thought!**

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Chapter 10: Reading the Legends

"So that's what happened," Sam finishes anticlimactically. He tells his story with such detachment that, if I didn't know better, I'd think turning into a wolf was a piece of cake. In his story to Billy, Sam doesn't include any of the heartbreaking hunger and sadness, the fights with animals over turf or the despair of thinking he'd never be human again. I think it's a disservice to his struggle and his triumph by not explaining the difficulties he faced, but Sam sees it as concealing his weaknesses.

Billy remains silent, and I grow increasingly impatient to hear his reaction. I open my mouth to prompt Billy to say something, _anything_ , but Sam shakes his head at me. Rolling my eyes, I refrain from badgering him, and instead begin anxiously tapping on the table. Now it's Sam's turn to roll his eyes, but what do you expect? I don't have the patience of a snail.

"Bella, please," Billy says pointedly at my hands.

"Sorry," I mumble and stop tapping. "Won't you say something?"

"Yes, I will. And I'll say it now, since someone can't seem to sit still." He gives me the side eye with a heavy dose of sarcasm, but what do I care? The tapping worked. "I thank you for your assistance, Bella, and for bringing Sam back to us. Words cannot express how grateful we are for your actions."

I can't help but blush and smile at Sam, "Really, it wasn't—"

"But now is the time you need to leave," Billy continues. "We can take care of Sam from here."

"Uh—" My words get stuck in my throat. Is he really kicking me out? "Billy—"

"No," Sam states with finality. We both look over at him, and he looks down right immovable. Sam has his big arms crossed over his chest, legs spread wide, and a deep scowl on his face. In the back of my mind, I acknowledge that he would seem intimidating if he wasn't so damn fine looking. In any case, his implacable frown is directed at Billy.

"Now Sam…" Billy begins.

"I said no," Sam replies quietly but forcefully, while he stares Billy down. "There is no way Bella is leaving my side until she asks to leave. She saved me. She is the only one who knew what was happening to me. She deserves to know everything there is to know."

"Sam," Billy hesitates, measuring his words carefully. "You might not like it, but Bella is an outsider, and you don't have the authority to grant her access to our most closely guarded secrets."

"She soothes my wolf, and he will not let her go," Sam tells Billy. Now that's interesting. I wonder if he's embellishing the truth, or if that's how the wolf really sees things. "I am a spirit warrior, so in many ways I have more authority than even you do, Billy."

Oh snap! Calling out the head of the tribe? That's a throw down if I ever heard one.

"I respect your position," Sam continues. "But I won't allow you to blindly make decisions for me when you don't know what you're talking about. The wolf and I trust Bella with our lives, and that should be good enough for you."

Billy sits there with a sour expression, but he eventually grumbles, "Fine."

"I'm also telling my mother the real story," Sam rounds out his list of demands.

Billy just looks at him and nods his head. "Let's go to Old Quil's house. He keeps the original book of legends and other books that might help us."

If I was "Old Quil," I wouldn't let people call me old, but hey that's just me. Thankfully he lives a couple blocks away, so we just walk. There's that same song and dance as we did at Billy's to explain what happened to Sam, minus the show and tell. Old Quil really is as old as his moniker, and excitement does not seem like a good idea for him. He also takes Billy at his word about Sam turning into a spirit warrior, so it makes things much easier.

"In the library is where you'll find the books you're looking for," Old Quil croaks. I mean he's really, really old. He gives me this squinty eyed look like he knows what I'm thinking, and I try to blink back at him innocently. "Just whatever you do, be careful. They're originals."

Billy hands Sam the traditional book of legends, open to the section about wolves. Their storytelling is usually an oral tradition from what I understand, but someone along the way decided to write it all down so no one would forget. I'm glad they did or else how would we know how to help Sam? Anyone who _knew_ that the legends were true died decades ago.

Sam brings me over to the sofa to sit with him so we can read it together. I bet that's not what Billy had in mind, but stuff Billy. He can be grumpy in his own little corner. We read about the first spirit warrior and the man who walked in his skin while the original shared the body of the wolf. We read about the cold ones that attacked and the sons that burst into wolves to protect their families. We read about the self-sacrificing third wife who spilled her blood to save the people she loved.

"What a crock of shit," Sam says out of nowhere.

"What?" I ask, startled out of my sympathies for the ordinary woman who made the ultimate sacrifice to save others. What a brave woman.

"She didn't have to die!" Sam replies heatedly. "I mean really, plunging a dagger into your heart? They're vampires, I'm pretty sure a good slice on the hand would have drawn their attention enough for the last wolf to kill them. She could have saved her people and lived. That would have made her a hero."

"Huh. I guess you're right," I say, trying to see it from his point of view.

Sam leans close to me and puts his mouth on my ear. "Don't you ever dare do anything like that for me. If you died, I would follow you. Don't ask me how I know, but I just know that the wolf can't live without you."

He pulls back to look me in the eyes, and he has the most serious face I've ever seen on him. His eyes pierce me with so much emotion that it gives me goose bumps.

"Best way to keep me alive is to keep yourself alive, you got me?"

"Yeah, I got you Sam," I whisper, overwhelmed with a feeling I don't quite understand. He hugs me to his side, and I happily snuggle in. We're in this weird relationship limbo where Sam says life-altering shit like that, but we don't talk about what we are to each other. It's driving my a little crazy, but until Sam gets his wolf stuff sorted out, I don't want to press him for a commitment. Sam leans closer to give my hair a kiss. Until he tells me to leave, I won't feel guilty for enjoying a snuggle, either.

As we read on, we get to more modern passages. The one from maybe seventy years ago talking about a treaty stops me cold.

"No fucking way!" I blurt out. The Cullens? The freaking Cullens? "This has to be a joke."

"What's wrong, Beautiful?" Sam asks. He puts his hand on my cheek to turn me away from the book and look at him. His oversized hand warming my face is nice, but it doesn't calm me. I'm so stunned and frankly scared out of my mind.

"The Cullens are vampires?" I whisper, as if saying it out loud makes it real.

Billy looks over at me, and Old Quil pops his head in the door, too. They all stare at me, taking in my wide, frightened eyes. Somehow, I think this is one of the things they really wanted to keep me from finding out.

"I go to school with the Cullens. They go to high school! One of them is a doctor! Tell me what a bunch of vampires are doing in high school!" I practically screech. "Are they shopping for their next victim? Do they prefer young blood, like some people eat veal?"

Billy holds up his hand to me, and he is the one that answers, "You won't find us defending them, Bella, but you read the story. The reason why our ancestors made a treaty with them is because they claimed they hunted animals and not humans."

Old Quil interjects in his leathery voice, "At the time, there were too many cold ones and not enough spirit warriors for the tribe to risk a war." He looks over at me and then at Sam, "Similar to our situation today."

I take in a shaky breath to calm down, because he's right. I can't go off half cocked and risk making trouble for Sam. But shit, how am I going to go back to school and pretend I don't know what they are?

"At least I don't have classes with any of them," I mutter. Now that I stop and think about it, I guess that's technically not true. "Well, I do have a class with Edward Cullen."

Sam growls when I admit that. Huh. I didn't know he could do that as a human. I wonder if I could growl if I tried.

"But don't worry," I say optimistically. "He's been absent pretty much since I started. Honestly, I think he might have transferred or something. He's been gone for several weeks." Instead of being reassured, the other occupants of the room look at each other in silent communication.

"What?" I ask, annoyed at being out of the loop. "What do you think is going on?"

"Not sure, Bella, but you need to be careful around them."

"It's good that Edward is gone, because he is supposed to be a mind reader."

"WOAH THERE BUDDY." I think I just got mind fucked. "Did you just say mind reader? As in, he can hear my thoughts?"

Sam chuckles at me and kisses my temple. I'm so stunned that I can only partially enjoy the moment. "You believe in shape shifters and cold ones without a problem, but mind reading sounds impossible?"

"Well I guess when you put it like that," I grumble. I still think it's weird, and damn inconvenient. "What if he comes back, and I think about vampires? I don't think they'd like their secret to get out anymore than we want yours to."

Sam's growling comes back with a vengeance. It's almost sweet how he gets all protective at the thought of me being torn apart by vampires. It's like the wolf comes through the man's personality sometimes.

"Careful, Sam. Your wolf is showing," I taunt. He calms down slightly when I run my hand through the hair at the back of his neck. Not quite as good as an ear scratch, but almost.

"I think if he comes back, the girl should go on the offensive," Old Quil says mysteriously. Call me crazy, but I kind of like the weird old bat.

"The girl," I drawl pointedly, "wants to know what you mean."

"Well, girly," he starts, and I roll my eyes. What a piece of work. "If the mind reader shows up, you should tell him immediately that you know what he is, and that you are under the protection of the Quileute pack."

Damn, that's not what I expected him to say. Sounds like the old coot wants to keep me around after all.

"Yes!" Sam says excitedly, "That's perfect. You repeat in your head that the spirit warriors are back and that you're under our protection. It will reinstate the treaty and remind the Cullens that we're watching them."

"Wow," I reply stunned. "I think that just might work."

"Of course it will work," the old fart insists. "I'm the one that came up with it." And he slips out the door. What a loon.


	11. Vampires at School

Chapter 11: Vampires at School

Monday at lunch, I'm so nervous that I hardly eat. There've been zero run-ins so far, but I never usually see them before lunch anyway. This is the real test here in the cafeteria. I wait impatiently for the four Cullens to show up and take their customary table in the corner.

"Do you want to come with us, Bella?" I hear someone at my table ask.

"Huh?" I say, caught off guard. Angela and Jess are staring at me expectedly. "Sorry guys, I was just worrying over this bio lab today. What did you say?"

Jess seems suspicious, but Angela jumps on the opportunity to get over my awkward inattention. "We're going dress shopping in Port Angeles this weekend before the dance. Do you want to come with?"

"Oh um, I'm not going to the dance," I reply. Plus I hate shopping, but I don't tell them that. It's against the girl code apparently.

"You could come to give us advice or shop for something else," Angela continues persistently. I get the sense she doesn't want to go on this shopping excursion with Jess alone. I have a twinge of remorse for declining, but I already promised Sam that I wouldn't leave the area unless it was really important. He said it's harder to protect me if I'm far away. Swoon!

"I can't," I say with as much mock sadness as I can muster. "I promised my friend I would go see him in La Push this weekend." It's stretching the truth, but I'd planned on seeing Sam as soon as possible anyway. "And tons of homework, you know."

"Right of course. So who's your friend, the boy from the beach?" Jessica asks, deceptively casual. Her eyes have that glint in them like a vampire who smells blood. Vampire! Shit.

I look over at the Cullens' table and freeze. There are five of them. The reddish brown head is facing away from me, so I can't read his facial expression. –EDWARD CULLEN – I yell in my mind. – I know you're a vampire, and I am calling you to remind you that the treaty with the Quileutes is still valid. The spirit warriors are alive, and I am under their protection. – He hasn't moved a muscle, and I'm starting to wonder if he can read minds at all. If they played a prank on me, I'm going to be so pissed! Still, I have to finish my little speech, so I continue – They want me to tell you that they're watching you.

He doesn't even flinch.

"Earth to Bella?" Jess says, waving a hand in front of my face. "I know the Cullens are like super gorgeous to look at, but can you please concentrate for a second."

Bam. Just like that Edward Cullen whips his head around to stare right at me. That paper white skin and that unnaturally flawless face seem so out of place in a high school cafeteria. Now I see their "perfection" for what it really is, a sign of their dangerousness. The hair rises on the back of my neck, and I can't get that intense stare out of my mind, even as I turn back to Jessica.

"No, not Jacob. Someone else," I say as I get up and leave the table. "See ya." It might be rude, but I don't want to answer questions about Sam where the Cullens can hear. I won't put a target on his back if I can help it.

I'm so preoccupied with the events in the lunch room that it's not until I reach my next period that I realize I'm going to have to share a lab table with a vampire. Awesome.

The bells rings and other students flow in, chatting amongst themselves. Mike greets me, and I give him a tight smile as I scoot my chair to the very end of the table. I don't care if it's obvious. I'm not making it a secret to Edward that I know what he is and that I want him to stay away from me.

When we were reading the legend at Old Quilly's place, one of the books said that the wolf fire only sets in when there are vampires in the area. Something about being able to smell them, whatever that means. I'm so pissed at the Cullens for taking Sam's future away from him, for taking his scholarship away and throwing all of his hard work down the drain. If I didn't know how worried it would make Sam, I would try taking a tire iron to the Cullens to see if it did any damage.

Pushing away my more murderous thoughts, I watch Edward Cullen walk through the door, and I try to decide if he got my message or not. He looks at me intently, but he doesn't give me any indication that he heard me. No nod or shake of the head. Those assholes! I feel like I've been had.

Edward sits down and introduces himself. "Hi, I'm Edward Cullen."

"Hi," I grudgingly choke out. Please don't try to talk to me.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" He asks me condescendingly.

"No," I tell him honestly, and I think I've shocked him. I hide be hind my hair to cover my smile. One point for the human.

When the teacher passes out the lab slides, I realize I have the perfect excuse not to work with the vamp.

"Mr. Molina?" I grab the teacher's attention as he walks by our table.

"Yes, Bella?"

"I did this same lab back in Phoenix, so I'm not sure it's really fair if Edward and I work together." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Edward looking at me curiously. I go for the touch down and try to maintain a straight face, "I wouldn't want to deprive Edward of his opportunity to learn."

I takes every ounce of my pathetic acting lessons, Renee's idea of course, to not burst out laughing at the idea of a hundred year old vampire learning basic cell biology for the hundredth time. If they've been playing high school vamps all this time, Edward definitely doesn't need a refresher.

"How very thoughtful of you, Bella." Mr. Molina says. "Why don't you do the worksheet at the empty table over here, and then you can start on the homework listed on the board."

"That sounds perfect," I say with a smile. In my mind, I'm breaking out in maniacal laughter as my own cleverness.

"Bella," Edward says softly. "What a beautiful name."

I stiffen when he comes so close to Sam's nickname for me. But now's no time to lose my cool, not when I could be enjoying my little triumph over a vampire. Another point for the human.


	12. Feed You to the Wolves

Chapter 12: Feed You to the Wolves

I'm so lucky that Charlie is a workaholic who isn't used to living with someone else. He doesn't even ask me where I'm going when I say I won't be home for dinner.

"I can pick something when I leave the station," is all he says.

I hop in my truck with my bags and breathe a sigh of relief. Ever since Sam suggested that Charlie might forbid me from seeing him if Charlie knew about the wolf situation, I try to keep everything about Sam under wraps. Charlie knows that I spend more time on the res these days, but he assumes I'm with Jacob, and I don't go out of my way to correct him. I just need some time to introduce Charlie and Sam properly without anything wolfy going on. But that's a problem for another time.

Now, I need to tell Sam about my run-ins with Edward Cullen this week, and I doubt he's going to be happy about it. Edward seems to have developed a weird fixation on me since he came back to school earlier this week. I cringe, thinking about his creepy intense looks from across the lunchroom, and him touching my arm yesterday in biology. His skin feels so unnaturally hard and cold. The Cullens might look human, but they definitely feel like the walking dead. I'm trying to keep an open mind about the Cullens because they say they don't drink humans, but sometimes I swear I see murder in Edward's eyes. This is going to be a long year…

I can't help but smile when I drive up to Sam's. The lawn looks freshly mowed, and I know Sam must have woken up really early to get the lawn done before his morning shift. He is so good to his mother, and the entire community, really. It seems like Sam is always trying to take care of people. Today it's time for Sam to accept someone taking care of him for a change.

I grab my bags from the back and bring them into the kitchen. Sam hasn't materialized from the trees, so I'm guessing he's patrolling on the far side of the res right now. Whenever he hears my truck coming, he always stop to say hi even if he has to get back to patrolling right away.

I pull the groceries I brought out of my bags and store what I don't need in the fridge. I have about three hours to kill before Sam gets off his patrol, and what better way to use my time than cook us a nice dinner. I might also be meal prepping for Sam and his mom for next week, but he doesn't have to realize that until he checks the fridge after I leave tonight. For someone who likes taking care of others and giving help, he sure has a hard time accepting it.

"Edward Cullen can't read my mind," I confess to Sam later that night as we're sitting on his sofa drinking hot chocolate for desert. Ok, so I'm drinking hot chocolate with a blanket around me, while Sam is shirtless and eating ice cream. His high internal temperature still baffles me. "I think I can see steam coming off you."

He barks out a laugh, "Yeah 'cause I'm just that hot."

"Literally," we both say and dissolve into laughter.

"But seriously, Beautiful, how are you so sure?"

"He never acknowledged that I said anything to him that first day, and then I started to test him." I admit sheepishly.

"Bella!" Sam chides, exaggeratingly looking at the ceiling. "Tell me you didn't taunt the unstable vampire. Please," Sam begs, already knowing that I did.

"Ok, I won't tell you," I say sassily and move to get up. A muscled arm snakes out and pulls me back to his side.

"You're not getting away that easily," Sam huffs gruffly. He tugs me so I'm right next to him, hip to hip, leg to leg. His body is so warm that I don't hesitate to wiggle around and get comfortable. He grunts when I accidentally elbow him in the stomach, and we settle in with my head against his chest and his arm on the back of the couch. I think we should make a habit out of Saturday Movie Night.

"I've called his name when he's not looking at me, but he never turns," I explain. "I've screamed 'blood' and 'vampire' in my head a couple times, but he doesn't so much as blink."

Sam raises one eyebrow at me like he doesn't believe that's all I did, and he's not wrong.

"I may have also said that vampires are dumber than turkeys," I admit, thinking of that viral video from a few years ago with the turkeys that got stuck following each other in a circle because they were too stupid to stop.

Sam puts him arm over his eyes, shaking his head and muttering about what he's going to with me.

"Come on," I rant. "I mean, they're immortal, and they choose to spend it going to high school every few years just so they can blend in? No sane person would do that." Then again sane people don't drink blood, so I guess the logic of the undead is not quite knowable to us mortals. "They probably expose themselves more by letting people get close to them, anyway. It'd be better for everyone if they pretended to be homeschooled."

"Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought," Sam muses sarcastically.

"When you sit next to one, it incentivizes you to think of ways to get rid of them," I quip back. At Sam's dark look, I open my eyes wide and innocent. "Did I never tell you that Edward Cullen is my lab partner?"

Sam starts growling, and I know it's time to calm him down.

"Shh Shh Shhhh," I lift up onto my knees to be able to reach Sam's head. I start scratching lightly through his hair as I turn his growling face into my neck. "I know I should have told you right away, but I didn't want to upset you when things were going fine. You already know I have a class with him."

Sam's growling slows, and he wraps his arms around me. All of a sudden, I am very conscious of my legs straddling his lap and our chests pushed together by his arms. Sam takes a deep breath at my neck, and his exhale ruffles my hair.

"Let's talk about a game plan for the mind reader later, yeah?" I ask Sam carefully. His only response is to squeeze me tighter. "Ok, why don't we just rest here for a little bit."

We're content to sit, sleepily holding each other until I have to move my legs before I lose circulation. I try to slip out of Sam's hold as gingerly as possible because I think he's asleep, and he definitely needs it after all the patrols he's been running.

"No," Sam breathes over my neck. "Don't go."

"I'm just going to sit next to you, big guy," I reply quietly. I think he is half asleep. Poor Sam, when was the last time you had a good night's sleep?

"Mmmm don't go," he repeats, and he stretches out on the couch to follow me. I get hiked up on his chest so that he can nuzzle his nose into my neck. With a hot band of steel around my back, I don't think I'm going anywhere soon, so I might as well settle in. I grab myself some of Sam's pillow and try to relax while sprawled completely on top of his chest. I refrain from caressing him, but I do give in to the urge to kiss his temple.

"Goodnight, my handsome wolf"


	13. Declarations

**A shorty but hopefully a goody! Let me know what you think ;)**

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Chapter 13: Declarations

I feel breathless when I wake up. My boobs are tender and my nipples ache. Damn. I must have had a sexy dream while napping on the couch with Sam. How awkward is that? I look around and it's still dark out, so we can't have been sleeping for long.

As I orient myself, I realize that Sam isn't by my head any longer. My head is pillowed on the sofa arm and Sam's head is right at my–

"Oh shit," I breathe out reverently as Sam's tongue laps at my breasts. "Oh Sam, that feels so good."

I feel so guilty because I'm not even sure that he's aware of what he's doing, but it feels too good to ask him to stop. I squeeze the hair under my hand, and he lifts his head, looking up at me with clear eyes. Staring right at me, he licks at my cleavage again.

"What a view to wake up to," he groans. I feel hands squeeze my butt cheeks, and I realize that sometime in the night he slipped his hands under the blanket and into my shorts. He hefts me higher until his nose is buried in my boobs, and despite my relatively small size, it still looks so dirty. He nudges my tank top aside to get at my nipple.

"Sam Sam," I call, trying to slow us down. I put my hand on his cheek, and he turns into it with a kiss on my palm. "I'm definitely enjoying this, but I'd rather slow down and talk about this before your mom walks in on us and forces us to talk about it."

I think mentioning his mom is what really sobers Sam up. He gives my breast one last kiss before pulling up my top and sitting up. I don't go very far considering he sits me on his lap. I can feel how much he was enjoying it poking me in the butt, and I try to ignore it. I ignore it when all I really want to do it slip my hand in his shorts and jerk him off.

"Bella!" Sam snaps me out of my day dream and whispers into my ear, "I can smell your desire, Beautiful," He takes a big whiff to demonstrate and exhales it past my ear. I shudder and bite my lip. Is this man trying to torture me? "Your sweet smell makes talking difficult, so either chop chop with your conversation or stop thinking about me naked."

I squeak in surprise. How the hell does he know that's what I'm thinking about? I wiggle to get up from his hold, but Sam groans and grinds into me instinctively.

He curses under his breath. "Sit still for me, Beautiful. Please?"

I nod and refrain from moving. I guess we're going to have this conversation here and now. It's not really what I pictured, but maybe I have less chance of the man I love rejecting me if I have his erection trapped under my ass.

"You're more than just my friend, Sam," I start out.

His arm that's snug under my breasts gives them a little bounce, and he says, "Sure hope so Bella."

I sigh, disappointed that he's only interested in sex. "That's not what I mean," I say morosely. "I care about you, Sam."

He must hear the sadness in my voice because he sets me down on the couch and kneels in front of me to look me in the eyes. I can't bear to look into his beautiful face as he rejects me, so I look down at my hands.

"Don't be sad, Beautiful," he pleads, taking my hands in his. "It's hard for my mind to switch tracks so quickly, but that doesn't mean I don't feel anything for you, my Bella."

My heart swells, and I look up a him hopefully. Can we really make this work? "You do?"

"Of course I do. I haven't wanted to scare you off by saying it, but this thing with us, for me, is permanent. I want you in my life, always. Your sunshine, your caring heart, your beautiful face, your fierce defense of me." He smiles at me, and it's like I don't have a care in the world. "All I want is to be standing right beside you forever and always."

I practically throw myself at him, but sturdy werewolf that he is, Sam catches me without any effort. "I love you," I tell him fiercely.

"I know," he says with a cheeky grin. I protest indignantly, and he laughs at me, telling me, "I love you too, Beautiful."


	14. Nightmares

**A big thank you to all the consistent readers and welcome to new ones! Hope you enjoy. As always, R &R :)**

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Chapter 14: Nightmares

Sam's words play on repeat in my head anytime I'm away from him, which unfortunately is pretty often. I usually get a call after school when Sam has a break from his shifts, but I don't like to keep him too long because he needs all the sleep he can get. I can't wait for this weekend when I can really see Sam again and spend time with him. Even if all we do is cook or nap, I feel so happy just being near him.

Tonight's the night that Sam's coming over, and we're going to break the news to Charlie that we're dating. Fingers crossed no one wolfs out or gets shot. Charlie is decently cool for a cop, so I'm not super worried.

Honestly, what's been worrying me lately is myself, and the people around me have started to notice.

"You seem a little spacey today, Bella," Jess observes at lunch. "Well, more spacey than usual," she laughs. "Are you like, on something?"

"No!" I say, offended. Do I really seem drugged out? "I guess I'm not sleeping well. I've been having weird dreams."

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jess yells and claps her hands excitedly. "Tell me exactly what happened. My psychic says I have a gift for interpreting dreams! Let's see what are your deepest subconscious desires and fears."

"Uhh," I stall, alarmed. No way am I telling Jess about my dreams of being frozen in fear and unable to move as a vampire touches and licks my skin. I wake up sweaty and shaken. If only there was a shower for your mind. "I don't really remember them. I just wake up feeling… off."

Jess purses her lips at me, annoyed that I robbed her of a chance to show off her _skills._ "Well I can't interpret a dream if there's no dream to interpret." She rolls her eyes.

"You should try some chamomile tea," Angela suggests. "Hot tea before bed helps me relax sometimes when I get insomnia."

I smile at Angela's genuine friendliness. "Thanks, I'll have to give that a try."

As the lunch group disbands and I head off to bio, I shake my head at the idea of chamomile tea. If only it were that simple. In addition to the dreams are the weird things going on in my room: a hair brush slightly out of place, a missing tee shirt, a smudge on the outside of the window. This morning my closet was wide open, but I always keep it closed. I would try telling Charlie about the closet, but I doubt he would believe me after brushing off all of the other things. I'm the girl who cried wolf now. Oh the irony. The only thing I'm positive isn't coming into my room at night uninvited is a wolf.

I look accusingly at Edward Cullen as he walks into biology. He doesn't act like he broke into my room last night, but then again, I'm not sure what that would look like. His eyes snap to mine as if he can sense me watching him. For a split second, I see something like hope on his face, but I quickly look away and pointedly ignore him the rest of class. The last thing I want to do is encourage him, even if he's not the vampire climbing in my room at night.

When I get home, the hits just keep on coming. There's a message on the answering machine, and I listen with disappointment as Sam cancels on dinner with me and Charlie tonight. The elders want him to patrol around the clock because of some weird smell he came across today. They want Sam to make sure it's not a vampire. Sometimes I hate those old coots, getting to sleep soundly in their beds while Sam runs patrols all night to keep us safe. I can't really sleep when Sam has night patrols, but I don't tell him that.

So now I'm stuck with making up an excuse to tell Charlie. I might as well say Sam got called into work and that it was totally unavoidable. It sounds like a decent excuse, and it turns out to actually be the truth. Protecting the tribe is Sam's fulltime job now that he quit school.

I got so mad at Sam went he told me that, because I know what his education means to him. He was the pride of the res for a while after getting a full merit scholarship to UW. He had plans. He had ambition. He doesn't seem bitter as about it as I am, though. Sam acts like protecting the res is his only concern now. Maybe it is, but I won't let him forget about his dreams. Eventually things will quiet down, and the elders will have to give Sam some slack to lead his own life.

For now, Sam is planning on getting his GED. Higher dropout rates won't look great for the res, but it's what the elders wanted, so they can suck it.

Dinner with Charlie is quiet as usual, so I open with asking the banally average, "How was work?"

Charlie clears his throat and replies, "Not great, Bells. A hiker was killed up near one of the camping areas. We've had the state park rangers close it down until we catch whatever did it."

"How horrible," I say, thinking about my own bear attack and how close it came to that being me. "It was an animal attack or something?"

"Yeah, probably mauled by a bear or something similar, but it's a strange one," Charlie replies cryptically. I'm not sure if he's being intentionally obtuse, or he honestly believes that pushing peas around his plate is more interesting that our conversation.

"What do you mean?" I prod him. I don't like where this is going, but if something unusual is happening around here, I have a better chance of understanding it than most people.

"You sure you want to know, Bella? It's not information for the squeamish type."

I ignore his mildly condescending tone, because honestly when it comes to maulings, I don't mind being "squeamish." I assert, "I want to know."

"Body didn't have any blood in it," he confirms the last thing I want to hear. "Not a single drop."


	15. Inter-Species Negotiator

**Sometime life gets in the way, you know? But now I'm back with another chapter :) Let me know what you think is going to happen!  
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Chapter 15: Inter-Species Negotiator

"Are you f-ing kidding me?!"

"Isabella Swan, the doctor will see you now."

I hastily end the call and get up, taking a breath to shore up my resolve. I guess Sam and Billy are too busy doing important wolf things to answer their damn phones. Hopefully they won't freak out when they hear my message saying I'm at the hospital to see Dr. Cullen and that I'll give them a call when I'm done. It's not like I can really explain what's going on over the phone.

I'm led down the hall to a room where I have to wait, and wait, and wait. Typical. Even as a vampire, a doctor's always going to make you wait.

"Good afternoon, Isabella," a pleasant voice says. With one last breath, I put on a smile. My smile cracks a little when I see a dead sexy DILF in a doctor's coat. The inhuman beauty, the perfect hair, face, eyes and body that are sculpted to draw me in for the kill. Hot damn.

"Hi, Dr. Cullen," I offer breathlessly. I'm not sure if I'll ever get over their otherworldly beauty. Supposedly this man has never killed a human before. Except that's not rightly true is it? He turned several people into vampires, effectively killing them, even though they were already dying. They also in turn killed many humans themselves. So he's actually responsible for the death of hundreds probably, and he conveniently gets to gloat as if never tasting human blood means you never harmed a human.

"How have been feeling, Bella? Your chart says you came in about abdominal pain?" The good doctor inquires.

"Can anyone else hear us in this room?" I ask, sounding just as paranoid as I am.

"No they can't," Dr. Cullen replies with a smooth voice. "Everything you say to me is covered under doctor-patient confidentiality."

I roll my eyes at that. Vampire-patient confidentiality. Hah.

"Before I tell you my reason for being here, I have to warn you. I've let people know that I'm here to see you, and they expect me to call when I'm done," I say in all seriousness. Dr. Cullen looks confused for a second before wiping his face blank of any emotion. I bet he can smell the shit hitting the fan.

"The Quileute spirit warriors are back, Carlisle, and I am under their protection." He stands like a perfect statue, but at least that fake pleasant smile is off his face. He's going to take me seriously, I bet. "As I'm sure you've gathered, I know what you are. I've known for some time so don't worry about me spilling your secret. My friends have secrets of their own, but of course you know that."

He starts to speak, but I put my hand up. "Please. Let me finish," I request. He inclines his head demurely, and I continue. "There was a hiker killed recently at a Forks camping area. It looked like it had been mauled by an animal, but more curious is that there wasn't even a single drop of blood left in the body."

The head of the Cullen clan looks me in the eye and says confidently, "It wasn't any of us."

"I believe you," I say honestly, and Carlisle's head whips around, staring at me in genuine shock. "None of your _teenagers_ ," I say with a taunt, "have come to school with red eyes or looking any more murderous than usual. You seem fine in my presence. And unless you keep your wife locked away because she likes to snack on the innocent hikers," he actually growled at me, like Sam does. Very interesting. "I don't think you would risk your cover by sticking around if any of you _had_ killed the hiker."

Carlisle seems stunned and looks at me as if for the first time.

"Am I right?" I ask somewhat smugly. I love besting vampires.

"I wouldn't act so cavalier discussing life and death with a being that craves your blood, Bella," he says stiffly. He's so starchy that I feel like toying with him a bit.

"Ooo do you really crave me, Carlisle?" I ask in what I hope is a sexy voice. I even lean closer to ham it up.

He looks like he's going to be sick, and I can't help but laugh. "Lighten up vamp daddy, I'm just joking!" At my nickname for him, he really looks close to hurling, but it only makes me laugh harder. How has the guy survived centuries with that giant stick up his ass?

"I think it's a regular vamp, a baddie, a human-drinker, a—"

"We call them nomads," Carlisle offers, apparently having decided that he is not, in fact, going to up-chuck anything.

"Exactly. It's killing on your land, so can you take care of it?" I ask, finally getting to the point of this conversation. "The wolves," I embellish here, it's just Sam, but I don't want the seven vampires to know that, "can handle the reservation, but if the vampire stays in Forks, there's not much they can do."

He looks at me like he's going to try to let me down 'gently,' so I go in for the kill. "If this vampire sticks around and kills any more people, the town is going to start asking questions. Already, the hiker's investigation is raising eyebrows from the lack of blood. It's not natural and everyone knows it. The more bodies that pile up, the more suspicion is going to grow."

In a very human move, the vampire sighs, and I wonder if it's more for him or for me. I know he doesn't have to breathe. It takes Carlisle a few seconds to collect his thoughts, like the elderly gentleman that he is.

Finally he agrees, "My family will take care of this matter. The hiker's death is truly a tragedy," I refrain from rolling my eyes. Like you haven't see a thousand humans ripped apart by vampires. Please. Save if for someone ignorant. "and neither me nor my family want any more harm to come to the citizens of Fork by our kind."

"Great! So what are you going to do?" I ask, trying to pin his agreement down to specifics.

"I'll convene with my family, and we will proceed with the best course of action we decide," he says evasively.

Damn. Worth a shot. "I'll accept that for now, but make sure to refresh everyone on where the boundary line is. There will be no toleration of crossing the line. Any vampire on Quileute land will be staked," I warn ominously. Carlisle looks at my funny, and I amend, "so to speak."

"Your warning is noted," Carlisle inclines his head and I get up to go. "Does this mean you speak for the pack, Bella Swan?"

I contemplate it for a second, but I finally decide on, "Consider me your negotiator."


	16. Pinkie Promise

**I'm back! Here's an epically long chapter for your reading pleasure. Hoping to wrap this story up in the next few chapters.**

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Chapter 16: Pinkie Promise

I'm singing in the car, dancing around, just jamming and having a great time. Who knew the meeting with Carlisle would go so well? I didn't die for one, which is a plus. He seemed willing to work within the boundaries of the treaty, which is perhaps most important. What has me so excited, though, is the idea that the Cullens will take care of the nomad and maybe Sam won't have to!

I hate the idea of him fighting a vampire alone. I read what wolves can do from the legends, but I also read what vampires can do. They always described multiple wolves fighting the vampires- a pack like Carlisle said. I don't want Sam, who's never fought a vampire before, to have to fight one alone. If I could help him I would, and so I did by going to the Cullens. Besides, it's the Cullens' problem too so they should help fix it.

I still feel pretty pleased with myself as I roll up to my driveway and head to the front door. Time to call Sam and Billy so they don't—"Ooph," freak out. A warm body smushes me into the door and I drop my purse. I'd know that warm nose burying itself in my hair anywhere.

"Sam honey, I'm glad to see you too, but can you let me up from the door?" When he gets like this, I'm pretty sure it's the wolf taking over. The shape shifters now are different from the first spirit warrior. Sam's soul doesn't leave his body to inhabit the wolf, like the first spirit warrior. I think instead the wolf inhabits him. He and the wolf share both bodies. At least, that's what makes sense to me. It makes it hard sometimes to figure out who is in control, Sam or his wolf.

Sam leans back a little bit so I'm not pressed up against the door, but he doesn't let me leave the cage of his arms. He scoops my hair off my shoulder and presses his face into my neck for a sniff. His arms stiffen around me, and I feel him coiled with tension.

"You smell like vampire," he spits out. I flinch because shit, I hadn't thought of that.

"Let me take a shower, and then we can talk about my appointment with Dr. Cullen," I say carefully, not wanting to use the 'v' word. I'm not scared of Sam hurting me, but still I don't like it when he's upset at me.

Sam doesn't reply. He gives me just enough room to pick up my purse and get the keys in the door. The second we're inside, he closes the door carefully and then hauls me up his body. I cling to him as he walks us up the stairs and into the bathroom. I expect him to set me down so I can get in the shower, but he leans in to turn the water on instead. I guess he doesn't want to let me go until the last second, and I'm good with that. It's not like it's a hardship to have Sam in my arms.

When he decides the water is hot enough, he opens the door. "Aren't you going to let me down now?" I ask him with a smile.

He frowns down at me and says, "No."

He steps into the shower fully clothed, holding me in a strong grip. I yell out in shock as the water hits me, and I close my eyes as it washes down my face. I feel Sam let go of me with one arm, the cap of a bottle pops open, and shampoo is squirted in my hair. I resign myself to getting my clothes wet and sudsy when I feel the exquisite sensation of Sam scraping his nails through my hair to lather the shampoo.

I groan and tip my head back. If this is what it feels like for my wolf to get his ears scratched, no wonder he tried to get me to stay as long as possible. Sam finishes my head massage and rinses out my hair. I look up at him, at his beautiful brown eyes, and I know my Sam is back in control.

He lets me down, and I turn off the water.

"I'm sorry I worried you," I apologize.

"Please, promise me you'll never do that again," he insists. "I can't believe you went to see my enemy on his own land by yourself. He could have taken you from me so easily."

His worried, pleading face makes me feel so guilty. I knew it was a risk, but it was a risk I was willing to take to save Sam. I'd do anything for him.

"Remember that there is no me without you," he says quietly. "I don't think the wolf could live without you. I don't think I would want to."

It sounds dramatic and dangerous, but I know he's not threatening to kill himself. He feels it in his bones that we're tied together, like an old married couple where one doesn't outlive the other by long. I know what he means because I feel exactly the same way.

"You're right," I sigh. It was a reckless thing to do. I wouldn't want Sam to make similarly reckless decisions, would I? "It was a big risk. I felt like it was worth it because I've been worried about you, and I want to help. Still, I shouldn't have done it on my own. I should have brought you or someone else with me."

Sam breathes out a sigh of relief and hugs me close. "That's all I ask, Beautiful."

I hug him back tightly, glad that our first fight is over.

"Was shrinking my jeans really necessary?" I grumble into his perfect chest. He laughs and gives my pouting lips a quick kiss.

"Come on, Grumpy," he taunts and hands me a towel. "You still have some explaining to do."

We dry off and change with zero sexy pit stops, much to my dismay. Sam is all business, and I'm hardly less eager to share my plans with him. If only his wonderfully muscular chest would stop looking so damn delicious.

"Bella?" I hear Sam ask, pulling me away from that drop of water trickling down his chest to his waistband.

"Huh?" I respond, looking back up at his face. I can't help but bite my lip as I try to corral my thoughts into something less distracting.

Sam smirks at me and looks amused. He totally noticed me checking him out.

"I asked what you went to see the vampire for. Your message didn't say."

"I went to see Dr. Cullen because I think there's a nomadic vampire running around Forks," I tell him, expecting to see some shock or at least a growl, but his face is carefully calm. For some reason, this doesn't surprise him. "There was a hiker killed and drained of all its blood near Forks. Dr. Cullen agrees with me that it sounds like a human-drinker, and I got him to promise to take care of it if the vampire sticks around in Forks."

Sam shakes his head at me. "Sounds like you sorted things out yourself. It's a wonder anyone needs me around with you here to handle it," he drawls sarcastically.

I know he's making fun of me, but I'm still proud of myself. "Yes, that's exactly right," I say confidently back. "You can stay home and finally get a decent night's sleep while the vampire coven pulls their weight around here."

"I guess this isn't the best time to tell you that I know about the nomad because I had a run in with him today."

"What!" I yell. "When was this? What happened?"

My eyes scan his body furiously for any marks or injuries, but amazingly, he looks fine.

"I'm fine, Beautiful, no need to worry," Sam reassures me. "It was good that the elders had me on 24/7 patrol or I might have missed him. The nomad came across the Forks border this afternoon, probably around the time that you called. I found a sickly sweet smell during my patrol and caught up to the vampire before he got too far onto our land. He was really slippery, good at evading, and eventually I ran him off out the northern border."

"I—

The phone rings, cutting off my rant before it begins.

I huff loudly, "That could be Carlisle. I told him to call when he had any info for us."

I veritably stomp down the stairs, fully realizing that my anger at Sam putting himself in danger is hypocritical considering I just told him that it wasn't a big deal for me to visit a vampire alone. Knowing that, I still can't seem to shake of this frustration born out of fear that Sam isn't built to handle a vampire alone.

"Hello?" I growl into the phone in the kitchen.

Someone coughs uncomfortably. "Hello, Ms. Swan. This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen," he says politely. I roll my eyes at his 300 year old manners.

"Yeah, Carlisle. What's up?"

"I have contacted my family members to apprise them of your visit. One of my sons, Emmett, informed me that he came across several unfamiliar scents when he last went –" Carlisle pauses, "hiking."

I shake my head. "You can say 'hunting,' Carlisle. I'm fine with you hunting, as long as it isn't humans."

Vamp daddy sure clears his throat a lot. "Ahem, well, yes. The night before last, Emmett went _hunting_ and he came across several unfamiliar scents. It was two or three vampires traveling in a group. Covens are unusual for nomads but not unheard of. My son assumed they were just passing through."

Ugh that's so creepy. He's not your freaking son, you douche.

"So we likely have more than one vamp baddie in the area? Lovely," I reply, dripping with sarcasm. A hot steel band slides around my middle from behind, and I melt into Sam as he presses a kiss to my shoulder. "A wolf had a run-in with a male nomad a few hours ago, but he ran him off. Doesn't seem like there was anyone with him."

I look over my shoulder at Sam, and he confirms it with a shake of his head.

"One of them could have abandoned the group," I suggest out loud, "Or they are splitting up in order to evade pursuit."

Sam continues to nuzzle my neck comfortingly. I squeeze his arm in thanks.

"I thank you for the information, Ms. Swan." Cue eye roll. "Tonight, my family and I will run our perimeter, in accordance with the treaty of course, and see if we can detect any traces of them. We will call you tomorrow with the results of our labor."

"Thanks, Carlisle. Talk to you tomorrow," I reply and hang up.

I sigh tiredly, and Sam brings his other arm around me, squeezing me gently into his body. It's like he knows exactly what I need. I turn my head to the side and kiss his burly shoulder. As I press my cheek to his hot skin, I think that I never want to be anywhere but in Sam's arms.

"We're going to do this together," I say quietly but emphatically to him. "I promise to not go off on my own to try and fix things, as long as you promise to be cautious and not take unnecessary risks."

Sam nudges me, encouraging me to turn around in his arms to face him. I lean back to look up at his face. His expression is so soft and loving, my heart melts in an instant.

"We do this together," he confirms. "And we do everything in our power to keep each other and ourselves safe."

I love this man.

"I promise," he says as he pulls one arm out from around me and holds up his pinkie finger.

I throw my head back and laugh. A grin spreads on his face, and I can't help but lean in and kiss that smiling mouth. I pull away just a smidge to curl my pinkie around his.

"Pinkie promise," I whisper against his lips.

It was so goofy, but so us. Young and playful on the surface, but serious and real underneath. Our parents, this town, my friends—they might judge us for our ages, but we're no Romeo and Juliet. We're no teenage romance. This is some real, hard, adult shit in our lives that we have to take care of. Nothing like protecting your town from mythical mass murderers to make you grow up real quick.

I look at the love in Sam's eyes, and I know I'm radiating it right back at him. As long as I have Sam, I know everything will be alright.


	17. Vision

**Can Bella handle the anticipation? Let's find out :)**

* * *

Chapter 17: Vision

I stay up all night, having given up trying to sleep hours ago. My mind won't shut up. I keep thinking about the possibilities, about things I can't change. It drives me mad, but I'm used to the restlessness by now. Like a dog running in its sleep, my limbs seem to twitch and shake against my will.

At least I can put to rest my crazy suspicion that Edward Cullen was sneaking into my room at night. No one came to my window. As wired as I feel, I probably would have screamed the second I heard anything out of the ordinary.

I listen intently for Charlie leaving for work. When I hear front door lock click into place, I throw my covers off and rush downstairs to wait for Carlisle's call.

Breakfast does little to sooth my impatience, but finally the phone finally rings.

"Carlisle?" I breathe. "News?"

"Good morning, Ms. Swan," the good doctor says calmly. He clears his throat daintily before continuing. "We have some information for you, but it would be best to explain in person."

Fuck. I can't take much more of this waiting. "Can you come over now? My dad already went to work."

"As much as I appreciate your mediation skills, Ms. Swan, I strongly believe that we should meet with the wolf pack to explain our information in person."

Wolf pack. Shit. I figured that trying to pretend there was more that one wolf would bite me in the ass sometime. I just didn't expect it so soon.

"The pack won't leave the reservation unprotected. I'll see if they can send a representative to meet with us," I say, hoping he buys it. Another thought pops into my head. "It would be best if you come alone, Carlisle, as a show of good faith. One wolf, one vampire, and one negotiator."

There's a lengthy pause that makes my heartbeat go haywire. This is what Sam would do to stay safe, right?

"I accept your proposition, Ms. Swan," Carlisle agrees. "We can meet at the treaty line near the river. Your wolf should be able to find us."

"He will. We'll meet you there at sundown tonight," I say.

"I look forward to it. Until tonight, Ms. Swan," Carlisle says his goodbyes, and I hang up.

Now to tell Sam about our date with a vampire. I call him up, expecting to leave a message for when he's back from patrols.

"Hello?" A woman answers, and I pause self-consciously. Who is she?

"Uh hi," I reply cautiously. "This is Bella Swan. I was hoping to leave a message for Sam if he's out."

"Ohhh! Hi Bella! I've been wondering when I'd hear from you," the woman says excitedly. Now I'm more confused than ever. "This is Martha, Sam's mom."

Of course! I laugh out of relief. "Hi Martha," I say with a smile. "It's nice to talk to you. Sam caught you up on everything that's been going on?"

"Oh yes. That boy," she scolds lightheartedly. "At first he tried to tell me that he got lost camping. Without any equipment."

I shake my head and laugh, "I told him no one would believe that."

"Yes, he confessed everything to me pretty quickly when he saw I wasn't going to let it go."

"I'm so glad you worked it all out," I tell her. I pause and then decide to say, "He was so upset that he hurt you with the fighting and his disappearance. He really needed you to forgive him."

"I know," she sighs sadly. "And as I told him, there's nothing to forgive, but he has my forgiveness if he needs it."

"Thank you," I whisper, knowing how much that means to Sam. I shake off my emotions and pep up. "I called because Sam and I need to attend a meeting at sundown. He'll check in before then, right?"

"Yes dear," Martha replies. "Sam takes a break to grab lunch before his afternoon patrols. I'll leave a note on the fridge for him to call you. Believe me," she laughs, "If it's on the fridge, he'll see it."

I laugh, too. That sounds like Sam.

"Is it 9 o'clock already?" Martha says in a rush. "I've got to get to work, dear, but you'll promise to come see me sometime, won't you? For dinner?"

"Sure, I'd like that," I reply honestly. She seems great.

"Wonderful! I'll talk to you later, sweetie! Have a good day!" Martha rushes off the phone even before I say goodbye.

She sounds so different from the worried mess that Charlie described to me while Sam was "missing." She sounds happy.

I fill Sam in when he calls. He seems just as frustrated as I am that Carlisle wouldn't tell us what he found out over the phone.

"I'll swing by at sunset to pick you up and take you there," Sam offers.

"You don't need to do that," I say, trying to be helpful. "If you give me an address, I can drive myself."

Sam chuckles. "That'll be a little difficult, Beautiful, considering the area he's talking about is deep in the woods. Don't worry about transportation. I've got it covered."

"Ok," I concede, but still curious as hell about how we're going to get there. "See you then."

"See you," he replies. Then quickly, "Oh and you'll want to wear pants."

I hear a chuckle and then he hangs up. Pants? What the hell am I in for?

All the lasagna-making and laundry in the world doesn't distract me today. It's a relief when the sun finally hides behind the trees. My toe taps impatiently as I wait for Sam to ring the doorbell.

I'm so focused on the door that I barely notice the barking yips coming from the backyard. Those don't sound like the neighbor's dog.

I grab my jacket and rush out the back, scanning the tree line for my wolf. My head jerks when I spot him, and he nods his head to call me over. I lock up the house and run to him.

"Hey wolfy," I greet Sam with a cheeky smile. His tongue lolls out of his mouth, and he licks my face. "Eww, come on," I say, pushing his head away from me. He just licks harder.

"Puhh," I spit out, unsuccessfully trying to push his head away from me. "We need to get you some doggie toothbrushes. Your breath stinks!"

Sam clearly thinks this is hilarious because he waves his tail happily and continues to attack me with his wolf breath. He finally lets me up when I remind him we have somewhere to be.

"So how's this going to work?" I ask, still confused. "You need to be in wolf form to track Carlisle, but I'm never going to be able to keep up with you."

My wolf crouches down on his stomach and bumps his side into my hand. He looks back at me and nods his head.

"You want me to ride you?" I squeak, conscious of the double entendre. He nods yes. "But won't I hurt you?" He shakes his head no.

"Ok…" I say reluctantly. I grab onto the fur at his neck and jump up to swing my leg over. "Ooof," I huff out, trying to get used to this weird position.

"I'm ready," I tell him with a hefty pat to his side. "Just go slow at first until I get used to it."

He lets out a wolfy snort that sounds suspiciously like a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah," I say with an eye roll. "That's what she said. Can we get a move on now?"

Sam stands up, jostling me a little, and kicks it into high gear. I automatically lean into my wolf's neck and hang on. I'm fascinated by the trees whipping by, but I start to feel nauseous, so I tuck my head into Sam's fur.

We stop just after I hear the rushing water. My wolf crouches down and I slide off, stumbling a little as the blood rushes back to my legs. He gets up, displaying his massive size to the vampire across the river from us, and stands behind me. I feel his heat up against my back and see his front legs framing my sides. His message to Carlisle is clear: she's protected.

"Greetings, wolf," Carlisle calls over the swish of the water.

"His name's Sam," I correct him. "What's the information you have for us, Carlisle?"

"Is the wolf—excuse me—is Sam going to stay like that for our entire conversation?" Carlisle asks, sounding put out.

I crane my head up to look at Sam, but he just stares across at Carlisle.

"Yep, looks like it," I tell him. "Sam can understand you, he just won't be able to respond. That's what I'm here for."

"Yes, ahem," Carlisle continues, "Well then, my family came across several old trails, with three unique scents in total. Neither my wife nor my children encountered the nomads in person."

"Does that mean they left the area?" I ask hopefully.

"I am afraid not, Ms. Swan, Mr.—Sam," Carlisle responds awkwardly. Despite my disappointment, I have to hold in a chuckle. It must really irk Carlisle that I didn't tell him Sam's last name. "One of my daughters had a vision—" What? "—that three nomadic vampires will stay and hunt in town. They will kill a man soon. Maybe in a boathouse."

Sam starts growling, so I snake an arm around his leg and try to comfort him.

"Shh shh," I shush him softly and comb through his fur. "We're going to do everything we can to prevent that."

"What do you mean by 'vision'?" I call out to Carlisle for clarification.

"My family has gifts," Carlisle beams proudly. "My daughter, Alice, can see the future. More accurately, she can see glimpses of events that might happen. The future is always changing, depending on the choices we make."

Woah. What the fuck? "So the man dying isn't set in stone? If we do something about it, we can change the vision?"

Carlisle smiles, "Yes, Ms. Swan. You and your wolf pack can change the man's future if that is what you desire."

"Wow," I say, stunned. Ok, down to business. "What specifics can you give us? Who is the man? What did he look like? Do you know when or where the attack will take place?"

"All we know is that it takes place in a small wooden structure that has a boat suspended above water, which is why we surmised a boathouse, and that the attack takes place while it's dark outside."

I frown. That's not much to go on, but it's better than nothing I suppose.

"I wonder if there any lakes around here," I question out loud.

"There are none in this immediate area," Carlisle replies.

I sigh, "So the attack will most likely take place on one of the Quileute beaches."

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Carlisle confirms my dreaded suspicions.

"Ok, do have a description of the man?" I ask.

"No," Carlisle responds. "He was in the shadows, and Alice couldn't see his face. He is of average build, and perhaps older rather than younger, but she couldn't be sure."

"And the vampires?" I prod. "Were all three of them there? What do they look like?"

Sam stands up to attention and adjusts his feet agitatedly.

"Alice only saw one vampire who attacked in her vision, but she heard several other people speaking that she could not see," Carlisle pauses as Sam whimpers and stamps his feet. What is up with him? "The vampire who kills the human is a white male with blond hair, tall and thin, with angular features and … red eyes."

Ugh gross. Red eyes? My wolf nudges me impatiently. I guess it's time to go.

"Thanks for the info, Carlisle," I tell him with a forced smile. "Anything else?"

He looks at Sam and I for a moment and says, "Good luck."

He's gone in a flash. I turn around to give Sam a piece of my mind, but he's already crouched down, ready for me to get on.

"Ok," I agree as I jump up. "I'll go with it for now, but you have to explain what's going on soon."

Sam takes off like a bat out of hell, and all I can do is hang on tight. Honestly, it would be pretty exhilarating if I wasn't worried about Sam's strange behavior.

We continue through the Quileute territory, crossing the highway at a deserted point, and we stop in the trees on the outskirts of a high school.

Before I can even question what we're doing here, I notice a fight going down on the sports field not far from us. Two boys are shouting at one another with a group of kids looking on. The taller one flips the bulkier one off and starts to walk away, but the bulky one takes that as his chance to shove the other boy's back, making him stumble. The tall boy catches himself and turns around eerily slow. I can practically see the steam coming out of his ears. His fist clenches, and he draws it back for a punch when a wolf howls.

"Shit, Sam!" I whisper angrily, rolling off his back as a clutch my ears. That's fucking loud.

I turn back to the fight to see it has mostly dispersed. The gaggle of onlookers quickly rush back to the buildings, and even the bulky kid looks a little spooked as he turns back to catch up with them.

Only the tall angry boy is left on the field, and he's staring in our direction.


	18. The Boy-Wolf

**The beginning of the end! What do you think of the new wolf?**

* * *

Chapter 18: The Boy-Wolf

"He's a wolf."

I look back at Sam, who phased human after we followed the kid back to his house.

"He doesn't look like a wolf," I tell him stupidly. I mean, the kid is practically a string bean, and he's definitely young, maybe 15 or 16. "He doesn't look mature like you, and he hardly has any muscle on him at all."

I can't help but stroke Sam's gorgeous arms as I say it. Damn, he's fine.

Sam hums in his throat and leans down to give me a lingering kiss. I try to contain my sigh when he pulls back.

"He's going to phase soon," Sam explains. "Don't ask me how I know, because I have no idea. It's just something I know in my gut."

He looks down at me and rubs his cheek against mine. Is that a lupine gesture?

"I wish I could take you home myself," Sam says regretfully, "but he could blow at any moment. I need to watch him and make sure he doesn't freak out when he phases."

"You don't want his first phase to be as painful as yours was," I surmise.

Sam nods.

"Why don't you tell him what's happening to him?" I propose. "If you're positive that he's going to phase, then there's no worry about him letting the secret out. You're impossibly strong and fast, even as a human, so you'll be able to catch him if he tries to run."

Sam opens his mouth to object, but I can see he's thinking about my suggestion.

"You were confused and scared even before you phased, right?" I ask. "Because of the anger and the mood swings?"

"Yeah," Sam concedes, not seeing where this is going.

"We could take that all away from him," I say, really believing that we can help this kid. "Help him be prepared for the change and let him know that he's not alone."

Sam looks at me with a tender but worried expression. He pulls me in his arms for a warm hug. "You have to take care of all the wounded animals, don't you, Beautiful?"

I chuckle as I snuggle into his chest. "No," I correct him with a smile. "Just the wolves."

"We need to get him to come outside," Sam says. "Out in the trees is best, in case our conversation triggers the phase."

"Why don't you howl like before?" I suggest. "He seemed interested in it at the school. Maybe he'll come outside to investigate."

"Worth a shot."

"Let me plug my ears first this time," I grumble and cover my ears. Sam rolls his eyes at me, and he steps away to phase. He howls at low-volume, probably to keep the neighbors from getting interested. Let's see if our wolf-to-be takes the bait.

Sure enough, the tall boy from the school runs out his back door and scans the trees. Sam gives him a little bark, and the boy snaps his head in our direction. He looks around to see if anyone's here and then tentatively walks toward us. Sam inches further into the woods, giving the boy a chance to see me first.

Once the boy reaches the tree line, I call out softly, "Hi."

He jumps, startled, and I press my lips together to keep from laughing. How freakin adorable is he.

"Sorry to startle you," I say calmly and quietly. "I thought you knew I was here."

He folds his arms across his chest and gives me a scowl. "You didn't scare me," he hisses out. "What's a little pale face girl like you doing out here anyway?"

I roll my eyes. He's less adorable with his mouth open. "No need for the name calling. I'm Bella."

I wait for him to give me his name, but all he says is, "I asked you what you're going here, not what your name is, _pale face_."

"I'm here to help you," I tell him.

He scoffs, "I don't need help from anyone, especially not you."

I hear Sam growling behind me, but I subtly put my hand out to keep him back. I want to try talking to the boy a little longer.

"You've been feeling angrier than usual, haven't you?" I ask him pointedly. "Getting into fights? Your temper is on a hair trigger?"

He stands there looking unimpressed. I try to think about what else Sam told me about the time before his phase.

"Maybe you've hurt the people closest to you? Said things you didn't mean," I fish for anything that could get through to him. "Your body feels hot and achy, like you're having growing pains."

He doesn't confirm anything, but then again he doesn't deny anything either. Maybe I am on the right track.

"Something is happening to your body that you can't control. I know this is going to be hard to believe, but try to keep an open mind, and try to trust that we want to help you," I tell him and then turn my attention behind me. "Sam?"

My wolf slowly steps out of the shadows and reveals himself. I turn back to the boy to see his eyes go wide and his jaw drop.

"Woah," he breathes, awestruck. He starts to stick out a hand, but he second guesses and pulls back.

"He won't hurt you," I tell the boy quietly, as I reach up to scratch Sam behind the ears. My affection-loving wolf sits down and leans into my side to get a better angle for my scratches. Still focusing on Sam, I tell the boy, "You know the Quileute legends? The ones about you being descended from wolves? They're true."

I look up to give my words greater impact. "Spirit warriors exist, and you are turning into one of them."

I feel the fur underneath my hand shift, and before I can blink, I'm holding a head of hair. My hand slips out and falls down Sam's back as he stands up. He crosses his hands over the goods, but I think it's more for the boy's benefit than ours. Sam doesn't have a self-conscious bone in his body anymore after all the phasing.

"I'm Sam. You've met my girlfriend, Bella," Sam says gruffly. He's probably still pissed that the boy was rude to me.

"You—you're—" the boy stutters. "What are you?" He breathes out in wonder.

"Like Bella explained," Sam tells him, "I'm a spirit warrior. A shape shifter. I turn into a wolf to protect the tribe from danger, and you are going to join me. I feel it."

The boy doesn't like the sounds of that. "I don't care what you feel," the boy sneers. "I'm not joining your little cult. You can't make me."

His voice gets louder and louder, until I think he's going to phase right here and now.

"Stand back, Beautiful," Sam tells me, scooting my further away. "He's dangerous right now."

"I'm dangerous?" the boy yells. "You're the one who turns into a vicious animal! Do you fuck her like that, too? Give it to her doggy style," he cackles.

Sam takes exception to that and gets up in the kid's face. "I'd watch it if I were you, boy. This vicious animal might smack that filthy mouth right off your face if you talk about my girl like that again."

I can see the boy getting madder and madder. Sam chest bumps him and the boy stumbles back. He fumes. The boy tries to push Sam away from him, but he's no match for Sam's heavy muscles. The more he pushes and fails, the angrier he gets until he finally gives up and stalks away. Not wanting the boy to take his fury out on anyone else, Sam trips the kid. It's a low blow, but that's all it takes for the kid to start really shaking. It's like I see it go down in slow motion. His back arching, hair growing on his arms, face elongating, limbs cracking. I watch in horror because I can't seem to look away.

Holy fuck. The boy looks like he's being ripped apart. His scream turns into a howl as his clothes rip at the seams, hulk-style. A large chocolate brown wolf stands in the boy's place. He's not quite as big as Sam, but he's pretty close. He growls at Sam and bears his teeth. Not a great start.

"Hey, boy," I call softly, stepping out from behind Sam. My wolf tries to push me back, but I move around him confidently. "I know this is weird and disorienting, but we can help you turn back to human and explain everything."

The boy-wolf puts his teeth away, but his hackles are still raised. I come up to him and hold out my hand for him to smell. I feel Sam hovering over my shoulder, but I remain focused on the boy. He gives me a sniff, and I step closer.

"Can you lay down for me?" I coax the new wolf. "I can't reach your ears from here." It would also show Sam that the boy isn't going to harm me, but I don't tell him that. After a beat, the wolf crouches down on his stomach. I step closer and scratch behind his ears.

"You can teach him how to phase, right Sam?" I ask. He nods yes. "The 'pack mind'?" I ask, referring to the vague description in the old texts about how the wolves communicate. Sam nods again.

"Ok, I'll rest over there," I say, pointing to a cluster of rocks. "I have a feeling this could take a while."

I pull away from the boy-wolf, and he whines. "Aw, honey," I coo, unable to help myself. "I know it feels good, but wouldn't you rather be human?"

I give him one last pat and head over to sit on one of the large rocks.

After two hours of playing games on my phone, I feel a shimmer in the air. I look up to see the new wolf phasing back human. Sam follows suit.

"Finally!" I say excitedly. "I was worried we'd be out here all night."

Both of them turn to me, and I very deliberately keep my eyes north of the equator. "Are you going to tell us your name now?" I tease.

"Paul," the boy responds, though he hardly looks or sounds like a boy anymore. He has the same bulk of muscles as Sam and a face that could pass for 21 easily. It makes me sad to see his youthfulness gone so quickly.

"Hi, Paul," I say with a bittersweet smile. "Welcome to the pack."


	19. Waiting

**Buckle up, people! This one's a doozy. Just wait ;)**

* * *

Chapter 19: Waiting

"Come on, Paul," Sam says. "Let's go inside for some clothes, and we'll give you the run down on wolves."

"We need to deal with the information that Dr. Cullen gave us," I remind Sam.

He curses, "Can you?"

"I'll take care of it," I assure him. "Let me go over to Billy's and come up with a list of boathouses for you before dark."

Sam rubs his hand over his face and sighs, "Right. I guess we'll be patrolling the boathouses every night until the attack."

"Attack?" Paul interjects, alarmed.

"I don't see another way," I tell Sam honestly. I know there's no way he'll let the Cullens on the reservation even if it's to help him out. "Everything will be fine," I reassure him with a tight smile.

He must see the worry on my face because he calls me over, "Come here, Beautiful."

When I get close enough, he snakes an arm around my waist and hauls me up against his chest. I sigh in comfort, wrapped in his arms, and rub my cheek on his pectorals. The warm skin under my fingers feels like home. I step up on my tippy toes, using Sam as leverage to get a kiss.

"Not that I don't enjoy the free show," Paul interrupts, "but can someone tell me what the hell is going on? What attack?"

I tug at Sam's bottom lip, reluctant to let him go, but eventually I step back.

"I should get going," I sigh. With a parting kiss to his bicep, I step around Sam and jog to the road.

"We'll meet you over there in a bit. Don't leave before we get there!" Sam calls after me. I wave my hand without looking back because that gorgeous man distracts me like no other.

At Billy's place, I give him the lowdown on the psychic vampire's boathouse vision.

"I'm not sure I like this plan, Bella," Billy responds with a frown. "Sam will have enough to deal with training a young, inexperienced wolf."

"You forgot 'hot-headed'," I add jokingly.

Billy isn't amused.

"Look, Billy," I force out, losing my patience. "None of us want this to happen, but unless you're going to let the Cullens onto reservation territory to help the boys out, or you happen to have a flamethrower stashed around here, there's not much we can do."

Billy still isn't amused. His reserved mask breaks as he hangs his head, pinching his nose in frustration.

"Let's get that list for you," he concedes gruffly.

Charlie calls before Sam shows up, and I know I'm busted. He reams my ass for skipping school today, but there's no way I was leaving Sam to deal with all this shit on his own.

"There was a big accident on the highway," Charlie tells me, "A 4-car pileup including a big rig, and I have two officers out sick. I don't have time for you acting out right now, Bella," he chastises.

It's on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I'm trying to save lives, too, but I know I can't say anything. To Charlie, I seem like any other juvenile delinquent, so I suppose I have to suck it up and play that role. I sure as hell can't tell him the truth.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that," I tell him. I don't apologize for skipping school because I don't regret it.

Charlie sighs angrily, "Get to the house right now. I'll probably be out working all night, but I'll know if you don't come home."

I roll my eyes. What's he going to do? Ask the neighbors to spy on me?

"Sure thing, Dad," I respond with attitude. He grumbles on a little longer about responsibility, but he gets called away soon enough.

"Fuck!" I say under my breath. Billy raises an eyebrow at me, so I tell him, "Char—" I stop myself, _"My dad_ found out I skipped school. I need to get home, or else."

"It would be safer to stay on the res tonight, Bella," I give Billy a look. "but I'll tell Sam why you had to leave," Billy promises.

"Thanks," I mumble dejectedly. I'm almost at the door when I can't help but say, "And tell him that I asked him to be careful, ok?"

I look back at Billy's knowing eyes. He nods, "Of course."

I hate waiting.

Charlie's taking care of the accident, probably pulling an all-nighter. Sam and Paul are risking their necks investigating boathouses in the area to prevent another death. What am I doing? I'm at home waiting. Fucking. Waiting.

The tv's on, but anyone who knows me could tell that I'm not paying attention to it. It's still on the sports channel that Charlie watches, and I don't bother to change it. The phone's right next to me, ready to be picked up the second Sam calls to give me the all-clear. _Please be ok._

I look at Wuthering Heights on the table in front of me and shake my head at the naive thought that I could concentrate on homework right now. My leg bounces agitatedly, and I try to think about anything other than Sam fighting three vampires. Fucking anything. _Please._ I rip my hair tie out and comb through my hair violently, trying to put it back more evenly.

"Ugh!" I blow out a frustrated breath and shoot up from the couch. _Sam's going to be fine._ I stalk into the kitchen to grab a drink I don't want, but at least it's something to do. _He's going to be fucking fine. Fucking fantastic._

I lean against the table, taking a sip, and try to calm down. The dark window catches my eye, and I realize that in my single-mindedness, I forgot to shut the curtains. The blackness outside sends a shiver down my spine, and I rush to close them. Unlike most people, I know exactly what monsters inhabit the night. Diamond-hard bodies, machine-like strength, blinding speed, and an insatiable appetite for blood. Nomadic vampires like the ones from the Quileute stories will show no mercy.

 _Please let him be safe._

I feel my fear turning into paranoia, but I decide to double-check the house anyway. I make sure all the doors and windows are locked, and I draw all the curtains. As I pass by the bathroom, I pause to grab the lighter I use for candles. I root around under the sink for anything else I could use as a weapon and come up with an old can of hairspray.

"What are you going to do, Bella? Create a makeshift flamethrower?" I mutter to myself. "Fuck, I'm more likely to burn my eyebrows off."

I grab them anyway. Maybe they'll make me feel safer, and I can calm the fuck down. I sigh heavily.

"This is crazy. I should just leave them here and—"

The phone ringing makes me jump. Fuck! I knew I should have brought the phone up with me. I clutch the items in my hands and run down the stairs.

"Sam?" I ask out of breath when I answer the phone. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"I'm so sorry, Bella!" a woman cries frantically. "It was a last minute decision. Edward promised me he wasn't visiting you anymore, but he did tonight and one of the nomads is following his trail."

"What?" I whisper, dumbfounded. "Who is this? Edward isn't here."

"You have to listen," the woman pleads. "This is Alice Cullen. The vision of the boathouse changed. One of the nomads broke off from the others when he caught my brother's scent." What the fuck? "The nomad is on his way to your house, Bella!" Alice cries at me. Shit. Fuck. Shit! I pop the top of the hairspray off and glue my eyes to the door, shaking.

"Stay inside," Alice orders me. "We won't get there in time, but Edward will protect you." Trust some guy who's been spying on me? Yeah, fat chance.

"I need to go," I tell her quietly and hang up. I ring Billy's place while staring at the door, glad that Charlie has him on speed dial.

After the longest 15 seconds of my life, Jake answers, "Hello?"

"Put your dad on the phone," I grind out. I stick the phone between my ear and shoulder as I practice turning on the lighter.

"Hey, Bella!"

"Now."

"Shit, fine," Jake grumbles. "Dad, it's Bella for you," he calls out distantly. "Seems urgent."

"You know," Jake says to me, "it's weird that you're always calling to talk to my dad." He pauses. "You're not, you know, into him or anything? Ow!"

"Give me that," Billy orders irritatedly. I rest the hairspray on my knee with my finger on the trigger. "Bella?"

"Alice Cullen, the psychic, had another vision. The nomads are hitting the boathouse tonight, right now probably, but one of them broke off from the group and followed a trail." I take a breath. "To my house. He's coming for me."

Billy curses violently. "Sam and Paul are out patrolling. They have been for hours. I don't expect them to check in until morning."

My stomach sinks. So much for getting a message to Sam. "It's ok, Billy," I lie, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "One of the Cullens is here apparently, and he's going to—"

I break off and listen.

"Bella?" Billy prompts me worriedly.

"There's something outside," I whisper. A tear drops unbidden down my cheek. "Tell Sam I love him," I choke out. "I love him so fucking much."

"Bel—"

I hang up and drop the phone. Faint voices and snarls come from the backyard, so I orient myself in that direction. I've got my hairspray in one hand and my lighter in the other. _Please let him be safe._ My knees shake so badly that I need to lock them out. _Please._

Out of nowhere, I feel a surge of anger and adrenaline. Maybe I have a little wolf in me after all. As the noises grow louder, I grip the canister harder and light my flame.

"Come and get me, fucker," I spit out under my breath. Not a second later, I hear a wicked crack and a thud. Fuck. The back door crashes open, and I scream, spraying the canister at the flame.

Something that's not me screeches loudly, and I, startled, shut off the flame. A blonde vampire steps back and furiously bats at his flaming torso. When that doesn't work, he grabs the lamp off the table and smacks it at the flames. I look on horrified as the bulb smashes but does nothing to his impenetrable skin.

He stamps out the flame and turns to me in a rage. "What a surprising little challenge you have been," he snarls. The disgust on his face turns into a terrifying smile as he bears his fangs at me. "I hope you're worth it."

"Fuck you!" I scream at him, and turn my face away. _I love you, Sam._

But I don't get viscously eaten. My throat stays intact as I hear the most beautiful growl in the world.

"Sam!" I call out in relief. The vampire backs away, staring wide-eyed at the huge gray wolf filling the living room.

"It's not possible," the thing whispers in shock.

"I hope it was worth it, fuckhead," I taunt at the monster. He turns to me for a split second, and Sam lunges, ripping his head clean off. The body twitches horrifyingly until Sam dismembers the rest of it.

"Bring the pieces outside, and I'll light them up," I tell my wolf. His intense gaze is unfathomable, but he does as I say and starts to gather the pieces.

I grab a leg and try not to gag as I bring it out into the woods.

"Good fucking riddance," I murmur as I light it all on fire.

My wolf brushes my side and sits next to me as we watch the vampire that almost killed me go up in flames. I scratch behind his ears, but I keep my eyes on the bonfire until it all burns down to ash.

Once it's done, I turn to bury my face in Sam's coat and clutch at him too tightly.

"Is everyone safe?" I ask. He nods yes.

"Are all of the vampires dead?" He nods yes, and I sigh with relief. _It's over._

"Take me to the res?" I suggest, exhausted.

Sam nudges at me, and I pull away to look up at him.

"I just want to hold you," I tell him pleadingly. "Please."

He crouches down instantly and lets me hop on. As we rush through the woods, I don't think about the smashed backdoor or Edward Cullen or the pile of ash. I feel the cold wind rushing through my hair and the warm muscles working under me.

Sam phases and carries me inside. I don't let him put me down. I clutch at him until my fingers ache.

"I love you, Beautiful," he whispers to me. I can't open my mouth to tell him I love him too. I just hold him tighter.


	20. A New Beginning

**This is it! The last chapter! I hope you've enjoyed the ride.**

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Chapter 20: A New Beginning

In the morning, everything seems clearer. My fear and anxiety from last night are gone, replaced with a happy feeling of how lucky I am that we're both alive. I sigh sleepily and snuggle further back into Sam's warm chest. One of his legs is inserted between my own and possessively curling around my calf. He has an arm draped over my waist and the other is bent under my head as a pillow.

Somehow I manage to turn in Sam's arms until I'm facing him. His gorgeous face looks so peaceful while he's sleeping. I rub my cheek on his chest, smiling, and hug him to me. _I'm one lucky bitch._

Later, awake and eating breakfast, Sam gives me the rundown on his patrol last night.

"Paul and I swept the boathouses one by one. We started at the marina and didn't pick up the slightest hint of a vampire scent there, so we moved on to the private docks and boathouses. We were down on the south shore when we found it—the first vampire scent of the night. Paul nearly went berserk, his wolf was so eager to fight.

"We followed the scent to the woods next to a private dock. We saw her up in a tree watching the shack at the end of the dock. The light in the shack went off and she started to make her move for the guy, but we caught her before she got the chance.

"I tried to get information out of her, ask her where the others in her group were, but she wouldn't say anything. Eventually we just ripped her apart and destroyed her."

"So you saved the man's live?" I ask Sam hopefully.

He smiles at me and says, "Yeah, baby, we did."

I beam back at him. "I'm so proud of you," I tell him.

He shakes his head and kisses me on the cheek. "It was Paul that got the second vampire."

I cock my head, surprised at the newbie's skills. "Really?"

Sam nods, "Yeah, I had shifted to take care of the female. Wolves can't light matches, you know. Paul stayed in wolf form, and he must have gone to investigate something because the next thing I know, he's dragging more vampire parts toward the bonfire."

"Woah," I react in shock. That's fucking impressive.

"Oh yeah," Sam says, "The kid's a natural. For once, he's being praised for fighting. You should have seen him when we told Billy. Paul looked like the most swaggering little shit I've ever seen."

I crack up at that because I can totally see it. That boy's got even more attitude than me.

"I'm glad it all worked out for you two," I say with relief. I saw a few raised pink marks on Sam's skin last night, so I know there was a bit of a scuffle, but it's good to know there were no major injuries. "How did you know to come for me? Did Billy tell you?"

Sam's nostrils flare and his hands grip his knees tightly. "No," he grunts out. "I felt a tugging inside of me, like I had forgotten something and needed to go back. I felt it faintly for hours while we were tracking the vamps, but I tried to ignore it. It got so bad when we were throwing the second vampire into the fire that I had to do something about it.

"I wolfed out and ran. It's like the wolf was trying to tear away from my body, and all I could do was run in the direction that eased the ache. Soon enough I realized that I was running to your house, Beautiful," Sam tells me with an agonized look. His jaw flexes with the effort of reining in his emotions. I want to go over there and sooth his pain, but I know he needs to get this out first.

"My stupid human brain finally caught up, and I knew you must have been in danger. You bonded so closely with the wolf that he almost knows you better than I do," Sam says dejectedly and hangs his head.

"Hey," I stop him, unwilling to let him beat himself up any longer. I press my hand to his cheek and coax him to look at me. "You did the right thing, Sam. You and Paul took care of the vampires on the res, and you saved a man's life."

"I should have listened to the wolf," he chastises himself, those big eyes looking at me so sadly. "He knew there was something wrong, but I wouldn't listen to him, and you almost—"

"But I didn't," I interrupt him and grip his shoulders firmly. "I'm right here, Sam, because you saved me. How do you think I would feel if you had bailed earlier and that man died? Or if Paul got hurt? Huh?"

Sam just shakes his head.

"You must have done exactly the right thing, because we're all alive, unharmed, and the vampires are dead," I tell him matter-of-factly. "How could last night have possibly gone any better?"

"You wouldn't have been in any danger at all! You wouldn't have been terrified!" he says angrily. Eh, he has a point.

"I agree that last night wasn't very fun for me, but it wasn't because of anything you did or didn't do," I tell Sam. He folds his arms over his chest and scowls at me. "You _told_ me to stay at Billy's until you got there, didn't you? And if I had listened to you, you probably would have told me that it was too dangerous to be home alone on Cullen territory with nomad vampires ready to attack, right?"

He huffs out a breath, "Yeah, thanks for reminding me to be pissed at you for that."

I roll my eyes at him and his scowl cracks.

"I think we need some new rules," I tell him. "How about, I'll always stay on the res when there's a vamp sting going down, and one of you has to figure out a way to carry a phone for emergencies.

"But Sam," I say softly, scooting over to him and hugging his side. "I think we did pretty good for our first time hunting vampires, right?"

"I guess," he agrees begrudgingly, pulling me tighter. "I can't believe I almost lost you."

"There are bound to be a few growing pains, but we all came out unscathed," I remind him. "And I was pretty badass, if you didn't notice."

He throws his head back and laughs. "Oh I noticed alright, you little firebug. I don't think a vampire's ever been more shocked in his entire existence."

I smirk, thinking of that dickhead's flaming stomach. "All in a day's work, you know? But I do need to give credit where credit's due. You came at exactly the perfect time, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but Edward Cullen helped too."

"What?" Sam stiffens like granite around me. "What the hell was he doing at your house?"

"I don't know exactly," I tell him slowly, "but when Alice Cullen called to warn me about her vision, she said that the nomad followed Edward's trail to my house. That's why the vamp broke off from the others in the first place. I guess he was curious or whatever.

"She said Edward promised her he wouldn't do it anymore, as if he had come to my house before," I tell Sam, trying to make sense of it myself. "It kind of makes sense now. The things on my desk being moved around and my closet door being opened were all Edward being in my room."

It sounds creepier when I say it out loud. Sam starts to growl viciously, and I feel it through his chest.

"We're meeting with them," Sam growls, his voice pitching downwards. "Soon. They've done enough damage to this area already. I won't let them get away with touching a hair on your head."

I'm all for kicking the Cullens out. I don't think the upright and proper vamp daddy will argue too much when we tell him what his precious son has been up to. We arrange a meeting for dusk, and this time Paul remains a wolf while Sam stands by my side as a human.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen," I say to them with a blank, polite face. "Hi, Alice, thank you for the phone call."

"Oh, Bella," Alice gushes. "I'm so glad you're alright!" _Go suck a dick, pixie bitch. You could have warned me when your brother was doing creepy shit in my bedroom._ I give her my fakest smile.

"Hello, Mr. Sam, Ms. Swan," Carlisle inclines his head at us regally. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend there?"

"No," Sam replies curtly as he stares them down. Legs spread, chin up, arms crossed over his chest in that delicious way that makes his muscles ripple. Mmm my man's sexy when he's a pissed off hardass. Sam's nostrils flare as if he smells something, and he gives my the side eye but quickly returns to the vamps ahead.

"Your presence here in Forks is endangering the community. You triggered the wolves' change," he accuses them ferociously. "Teenagers lives that will never be the same. 15 year olds turned into killing machines."

"I am acutely sorry for any pain you have endured," Carlisle tells Sam with a prissy tone. "However, I think it unfair to accuse—"

"No," he growls at them. "This area hadn't had an unnatural death for 50 years until you showed up again. Then kids are turning into giant wolves and innocents are being killed because you attract others of your kind."

"Carlisle?" Esme asks him in a confused voice, like she can't believe what she's hearing. "15 years old? They're only children."

"I watched it myself, Mrs. Cullen," I tell her, wanting to shock her with the gruesome truth. "I saw a boy's body crack and break. He was contorted in horrible ways as I heard him scream."

Paul whimpers, and I go to him, scratching his ears. "I'm sorry," I whisper my apology to him for bringing up the painful memories.

"When he was able to return human, I hardly recognized him," I continue to tell Mrs. Cullen. "It was like he aged 5 or 6 years in the span of a few hours. There was no trace of boyishness left."

I nuzzle Paul's fur affectionately, and then turn to Mrs. Cullen with a rueful smile, "He skipped his homework to kill vampires last night."

If the vampire could sob, I'm sure she would be right now. She turns her horrified face to her husband and talks to him, but I can't hear what they say.

It's Sam who speaks next, putting the final nail in the coffin.

"And finally there's the matter of Edward Cullen stalking Bella and sneaking into her room at night," Sam grinds out with fury written plainly on his face.

"Now halt one minute," Carlisle starts, affronted.

"Alice," I raise my eyebrow at her, "do you want to tell them, or should I?"

"Oh poo," she says in the annoyingly cutesy way of hers. "He wouldn't have hurt you, silly. He just wanted to get to know you better, and since you wouldn't pay attention to him at school, what was he supposed to do?"

I blink at her. She's fucking certifiable.

"It's illegal, morally wrong, disgusting, and fucking creepy to be in someone's room without their permission," I tell her, just in case she needs a reality checkup.

"He was just watching you sleep," Alice says as she rolls her eyes. "It's not like he bit you or anything. And he only touched you the once."

"What?" I choke out in disgust. Sam starts growling aggressively.

"What do you mean he touched her? How?" Sam barks out the question that I'm too horrified to ask.

"You're making a bigger deal out of this than it is. They're going to fall in love," the crazy lune assures us.

"Explain how he touched her," Sam grits out.

"Most nights he was there, Edward just stood in Bella's room, making sure she slept soundly. Isn't that cute? Anyway, one night Bella was having an amorous dream," _Oh my god. "_ so Edward really couldn't help himself. All he did was lick her neck a few times before I went over and stopped him."

 _Fuck, that's just like the dream I_ didn't _tell Jessica about._ I want to hurl. _I think I'd rather be crazy than right in this situation._

Sam's growling comes to an all-time high and his chest heaves with exertion. I curl into him and put my hand over his heart.

"I'm ok," I tell him quietly over and over until he calms down. "I'm ok."

"Where is he?" Sam demands to know with carefully restrained fury.

"Alaska. He left to lick his wounds after last night. No pun intended," Alice giggles. I narrow my eyes at her.

"I don't understand, Alice. Edward informed me that he left to track one of the nomads that got away last night. He killed two of the coven members and is working on finding the last one," Carlisle tells her in confusion. That's not exactly consistent with what we believe happened.

Alice throws up her arms and rolls her eyes at Carlisle. "Of course he told you that. He wouldn't be treated as the hero if he told you that he was bested in one punch by the nomad and that the wolves were the ones that killed them all, would he?"

Carlisle's face turns into a deep-set frown. I wonder if vamp daddy is into corporal punishment. "When we get home, we are having a discussion about–"

"Leave," Sam orders them in a rough voice. "We will give you a week to sell your house and never come back. After that, consider the treaty broken. Any vampire we come across on any territory will be dealt with."

"But Carlisle!" Alice whines.

"No, dear," Mrs. Cullen chides. "Their alpha is right. We've caused so much damage here. A human-drinking diet isn't the only way to harm humans, Alice."

"Ahem," Carlisle coughs daintily, recovering from his uncouth show of emotion. "Yes, I quite agree. We would not wish to attract more attention than we need to, would we?"

Alice pouts, but remains blissfully silent. _Thank the heavens._ That girl gets on my last nerve.

"We have an agreement," Carlisle confirms to Sam with a nod of his head. "We will turn the sale of the house over to the real estate agent, and we will leave by tomorrow."

"Fine," Sam agrees, "but make sure you keep your _son_ Edward away from Bella. Put him on a leash, I don't care, but he better never get within a hundred yards of her. Understood?"

"Perfectly so," Carlisle says. "Goodbye."

The vampires are gone in the blink of an eye, and I feel the weight on my shoulders lifted immediately. I smile at Sam, and he takes me to the beach to celebrate. Apparently, the local vampires leaving town is cause for celebration because it seems like the entire res is down at the beach for a bonfire.

"Ayyyyy, man!" someone yells into my ear, reaching across me to shake Sam's hand. "Nice to see ya. Congratulations on kicking those pale face freaks out of town. No offence, babe," the sloppy drunk says to me as he sways way too close for comfort. I'm grateful when Sam shuts him down fast.

"Step away from her," Sam tells the drunk firmly. When the man doesn't respond, Sam stands up and starts to get in his face.

"Woah woah woah! Sorry, Sam," a new man rushes up and apologizes when he sees what's going on. "Can't take this guy anywhere, right? We'll get him out of your way, don't worry."

Him and his other friend usher the drunk to the other side of the party. Sam scrubs his hands over his face in frustration, and I try to comfort him by rubbing his back.

"Let's get out of here before I do any accidental damage," Sam suggests with a wry laugh.

I slip my hand into his as we walk down the beach. The sounds of the waves slowly start to overpower the music and shouts of the party until there's only peace and calm left. The night never bothers me with Sam at my side.

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 **What do you think? Was it a good ending? Thank you, everyone, for your support!**


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